Statins could have major benefits for people with ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis

People with ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis who take statins may have as much as a 33% lower mortality risk, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting.

Ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis are associated with increased cardiovascular mortality risk, so experts investigated if taking statins might have a positive impact.

Results

Of 2,904 people with ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis who started statins, 271 died during the five-year follow-up. This group was compared to matched ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis patients who did not start statins, of whom 376 died during the follow-up. So taking statins was associated with 33% reduction in all-cause mortality.

Implications

“Given the increased risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease compared to the general population, patients with seronegative spondyloarthropathies like ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis may benefit from the dual anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering properties of statins, perhaps even more than in the general population,” explains Dr Amar Oza, who led the work “This observational study raises the possibility that clinicians may have a lower threshold for starting their patients on statins to mitigate this mortality risk.”

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