Major adverse cardiovascular events or venous thromboembolism in patients with rheumatoid arthritis initiating biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: a nationwide, population-based cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is complicated by a high risk of cardiovascular disease and requires the initiation of biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) for persistently active disease despite first-line therapies. The influence of b/tsDMARDs, especially tsDMARDs, on cardiovascular risk in Taiwanese patients with RA remains unclear.

Objectives

To compare the risk of major cardiovascular adverse events (MACEs) or venous thromboembolism (VTE) amongst RA patients initiating approved b/tsDMARDs for up to 5 years.

Design

A nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study.

Methods

Using Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database, we identified patients with RA initiating NHI-reimbursed b/tsD

SUBMITTER: Kao CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11898041 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature