ATLANTA (EGMN) – Use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 60%, based on data from 1,287 nondiabetic adults with rheumatoid arthritis. The results were presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American Academy of Rheumatology.
“Interventions that treat RA and improve insulin resistance are highly desirable,” said Dr. Jana Antohe of Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa.
To examine the impact of TNF inhibitor use in RA patients, Dr. Antohe and her colleagues followed 1,287 incident RA patients who were identified during January 2001-March 2008 at a rural tertiary health center. Of the 1,539 RA patients identified, 252 with preexisting diabetes were excluded.
The researchers compared the 884 patients who had never used TNF inhibitors with the 403 patients who had ever used them. Patients in the ever-use group had a higher median body mass index and C-reactive protein (CRP) level than did the never-use group, but these differences were not significant.
After a median follow-up time of 35 months for the ever users and 23 months for the never users, the researchers identified 13 new cases of diabetes in the ever-use group and 43 in the never-use group, for incidence rates of 11/1,000 person-years and 22/1,000 person-years, respectively.
The median age of the patients was 61 years, the median BMI was 28.6 kg/m2, 63% were women, and 97% were white. The findings were adjusted for gender, age, race, hypertension, BMI, positive rheumatoid factor and anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP levels, and the use of NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, hydroxychloroquine, and methotrexate.
Additional research is needed to confirm the findings in patients at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, Dr. Antohe said.
http://inews.idsk.com/viewer/story.php?CLIENT=INFOMAILER&NEWSID=imn120120101301001453