RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) withdrawal on blood pressure (BP), 44-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS44), and functional assessments in patients with stable rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: NSAID was withdrawn from 30 patients with stable RA (DAS44 ≤ 2.8). Other prescribed medication continued. Clinical and laboratory measures were taken at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. RESULTS: No participants required NSAID reintroduction during the study period. Significant improvement in systolic BP was noted: maximal median reduction was 7 mm Hg (baseline to 12 weeks). There was no significant deterioration in DAS44 or function. Eleven participants required additional intervention. CONCLUSION: NSAID withdrawal resulted in improvement in BP without loss of disease control.
Asunto(s)
Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/efectos adversos , Artritis Reumatoide/tratamiento farmacológico , Presión Sanguínea/efectos de los fármacos , Adulto , Anciano , Antiinflamatorios no Esteroideos/uso terapéutico , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Resultado del Tratamiento , Privación de TratamientoRESUMEN
Inflammatory pathways have been implicated in the initiation and progression of cardiovascular diseases. Accelerated atherosclerosis has been described in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, disproportionate to individuals' detectable traditional vascular risk factors. This finding suggests that other pathways associated with inflammation might account for increased vascular risk in such diseases. Highly specific biologic agents can precisely block the activity of cytokines generated during inflammatory cascades; the effects of these inflammatory moieties on vascular physiology and overall risk of cardiovascular events has been directly evaluated. This review summarizes key epidemiologic, physiologic and model data, which together suggest that tumor necrosis factor, a pivotal cytokine in the inflammatory cascade, is directly involved in vascular pathophysiology and that its inhibition might confer an overall advantage to the recipient. Moreover, such data obtained in chronic inflammatory diseases likely have relevance to primary atherosclerosis.