Stopping statin therapy increases risk of death for rheumatoid arthritis patients

Study highlights importance of therapy compliance to reduce cardiovascular disease mortality

2012-03-29

(Press-News.org) Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who discontinue use of statin therapy are at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes. According to the findings of a population-based study now available in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), RA patients should be advised of the importance of compliance to their statin therapy to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk.

A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that RA affects up to one percent of the population in developed countries. Studies have shown that death rates among those with RA are 1.5-fold higher than in the general population, with CVD cited at the leading cause of mortality in this patient group. Statins—drugs such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor) that are used to lower cholesterol and manage heart disease—are a common therapy for RA patients who are at greater risk of heart disease. Previous research reported 38% of RA patients permanently discontinue statin therapy, consequently increasing their heart attack risk by 67%.

"Our study provides evidence of the harmful effects of ceasing statin therapy," said lead author Mary De Vera, Ph.D., with the University of British Columbia School of Population & Public Health and Arthritis Research Centre of Canada. Using data from the British Columbia Ministry of Health records, researchers indentified 37,151 RA patients who received health services between January 1996 and March 2006. Of those with RA there were 4,102 patients who used statins. The team defined statin discontinuation as non-use of the prescribed medication for three months or more, anytime during the course of therapy.

The mean age of the RA group was 67 years, with 60% of the group being women. More than 16,144 person-years of follow-up were recorded for patients using statins, with roughly 45% of statin users discontinuing therapy at least once during the 4-year follow-up period. The authors reported 198 deaths from CVD and 467 deaths overall. Of the CVD deaths, 31% were from heart attacks and 15% from strokes.

Further analysis revealed that statin discontinuation was associated with a 60% increased risk of CVD deaths and 79% for deaths from all causes, which was not moderated by timing of the first statin prescription, age, or gender. "RA patients who discontinue statin therapy are at increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease," concludes Dr. De Vera. "Our study findings emphasize the importance of medication compliance in RA patients who are prescribed statins."

###This study is published in Arthritis Care & Research. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact healthnews@wiley.com

Full citation: "Impact of Statin Discontinuation on Mortality in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis – A Population-Based Study." Mary A. De Vera, Hyon Choi, Michal Abrahamowicz, Jacek Kopec and Diane Lacaille. Arthritis Care & Research; Published Online: March 28, 2012 (DOI: 10.1002/acr.21643).

About the Journal: Arthritis Care & Research is an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP), a division of the College. Arthritis Care & Research is a peer-reviewed research publication that publishes both original research and review articles that promote excellence in the clinical practice of rheumatology. Relevant to the care of individuals with arthritis and related disorders, major topics are evidence-based practice studies, clinical problems, practice guidelines, health care economics, health care policy, educational, social, and public health issues, and future trends in rheumatology practice. The journal is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). For more information, please visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2151-4658.

About Wiley-Blackwell: Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit http://www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Researchers identify new regulator in allergic diseases

2012-03-29

CINCINNATI - Researchers have taken a critical step in understanding how allergic reactions occur after identifying a genetic signature for regulation of a key immune hormone, interleukin (IL-13). Scientists from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center say the finding opens the potential for new molecular targets to treat allergic disease. They report on March 28 in Mucosal Immunology that a particular microRNA, miR-375, is regulated by IL-13, and in turns regulates how IL-13 induces pro-allergic changes, particularly in epithelial cells in the lung and esophagus. The ...

Novartis launches the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia to catalog world's cancer cell lines

2012-03-29

Collaboration with the Broad Institute yields comprehensive encyclopedia of genetic and molecular information for nearly 1,000 cancer cell lines Encyclopedia, publicly available, may improve the design of cancer trials and advance cancer research Data from encyclopedia may help researchers identify patients who could most benefit from any given drug Basel, March 28, 2012 – Novartis and the Broad Institute have developed a cancer cell line encyclopedia that catalogues the genetic and molecular profiles of almost 1,000 human cancer cell lines used in drug research ...

What Can Cosmetic Dentistry Fix?

2012-03-29

Many people have some aspect of their smile they would like to improve. With cosmetic dentistry, you can achieve a beautiful, healthy smile you can share confidently. If you have a tendency to hide your smile from other people, you should consult a cosmetic dentist about possible smile improvements. Your smile should let you express your innermost feelings and emotions, and cosmetic dentistry may be a good way for you to create a smile that truly feels like your own. Common Cosmetic Dental Problems Some of the most common cosmetic dentistry issues include: - Crooked ...

Taking some time off can help when learning a new language

2012-03-29

When learning a new language, it doesn't hurt to take a break, according to surprising new research published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. Adult subjects who had been taught to speak and comprehend an artificial language to high proficiency and then went several months without any further exposure did not show any change in their language abilities after the time off, report the authors, led by Michael Ullman of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and Kara Morgan-Short of the University of Illinois at Chicago. The time away from the language ...

Sleep disturbances hurt memory consolidation

2012-03-29

Sleep disturbance negatively impacts the memory consolidation and enhancement that usually occurs with a good night's sleep, according to a study published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. It is becoming widely accepted that sleep is crucial for cementing long-term memory, so in this new study, the researchers went a step further to investigate whether these beneficial effects only arise after some minimum amount of continuous sleep. The authors, led by Ina Djonlagic at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, found that patients with sleep apnea, which leads ...

Negligence and Car Accidents: Distracted Drivers

2012-03-29

Distracted drivers are our country's number one road hazard. About a decade ago, all you ever heard about was drunk drivers and how many lives were lost each year due to drinking and driving. Now cell phones and driving has become arch enemy number one, and many states have enacted laws to punish those who commit the selfish act of texting or talking while driving. Talking on the phone has become a way of life for millions of Americans. More than 85% of the 100 million plus cell-phone subscribers regularly talk on the phone while driving, according to a survey by Prevention ...

Adjuvanted flu vaccine associated with child narcolepsy in Finland

2012-03-29

A sudden increase in narcolepsy in Finnish children at the beginning of 2010 was likely related to the Pandemrix vaccine used in response to the H1N1 2009 flu pandemic, according to two reports published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. The authors of the studies, led by Markku Partinen of the Helsinki Sleep Clinic and Hanna Nohynek of the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland, found that the average annual incidence of narcolepsy between 2002 and 2009 among children younger than 17 was 0.31 per 100,000, and in 2010, this incidence was about ...

Hops compounds improve health of obese diabetic mice

2012-03-29

A class of compounds found in hops, the crop generally known for its role in beer production, reduces weight gain in obese and diabetic mice, according to a study published Mar. 28 in the open access journal PLoS ONE. Eight weeks of treatment with the compounds, called tetrahydro iso-alpha acids, also reduced gut permeability and normalized insulin sensitivity markers in the mice, among other beneficial metabolic effects. Hops have been known to contain anti-inflammatory compounds with potential medicinal uses for metabolic disorders, like insulin resistance and type ...

Types of Product Liability

2012-03-29

From toy cars to car seats to seat belts to cars themselves, defective products can come in widely varying forms. When consumers are harmed by defective products that are used as intended and according to instructions, they may be able to pursue financial compensation for their injuries through a product liability claim. While the range of products historically associated with product liability lawsuits is broad, product liability cases themselves typically stem from at least one of three factors: - Design defect - Manufacturing defect - Inadequate warnings or instructions In ...

Writing the book of cancer knowledge

2012-03-29

The goal of cancer treatment is to match the right drug to the right target in the right patient. But before such "personalized" drugs can be developed, more knowledge is needed about specific genomic alterations in cancers and their sensitivity to potential therapeutic agents. Now an academic-industry collaboration is releasing the first results from a new and freely available resource that marries deeply detailed cancer genome data with predictors of drug response, information that could lead to refinements in cancer clinical trials and future treatments. The Cancer ...

Stopping statin therapy increases risk of death for rheumatoid arthritis patients

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: