PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Vinall, Maria
ED  - Singh, Gurkirpal
TI  - Combination TNF-Inhibitor-MTX Therapy is Superior to MTX Monotherapy in Reducing the Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
DP  - 2007 Sep 01
TA  - MD Conference Express
PG  - 15--16
VI  - 7
IP  - 4
4099  - http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/7/4/15.short
4100  - http://mdc.sagepub.com/content/7/4/15.full
AB  - It is well known that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of fatal and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Endothelial dysfunction is part of the RA disease process and is mediated by TNF-alpha [Hurlimann D et al. Circulation 2002]. Localized inflammatory responses in the intimal layer of the arterial wall have been shown to be responsible for many aspects of intimal thickening and plaque disruption, leading to acute cardiovascular events. TNF inhibitors may reduce the risk of AMI in RA patients because their strong anti-inflammatory effect improves endothelial function [Bacon PA et al. Int Rev Immunol 2002].