Statins may prevent cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis, experts highlight

Statins may be as helpful for people with rheumatoid arthritis in terms of preventing cardiovascular events as they are for the rest of the population, says a large trial.
Statins are a common way of preventing cardiovascular disease in the general population, but few people with rheumatoid arthritis were included in the original trials.
So experts split nearly 3,000 people aged at least 50 years old or with more than 10 years of rheumatoid arthritis into groups. Half received atorvastatin (40mg/day) and the others a placebo (pretend drug) for an average of 2.5 years. Everyone was given lifestyle advice on how to reduce their cardiovascular risk. Key results were:
• LDL cholesterol was lowered by 1.07mmol/L in the statin group versus 0.14mmol/L in the placebo group;
• A total of 33 cardiovascular disease events occurred in 24 people in the statin group and 52 events happened in 36 people in the placebo group;
• The rate of adverse events was almost identical in both groups.
“What we think we can say from [the study] is firstly that statins are ‘safe’ in people with rheumatoid arthritis,” says Dr George Kitas who is involved in the work. “Secondly, that they have virtually identical effects, both in terms of [cholesterol] reduction and in terms of hard cardiovascular events, as what one would expect with equivalent doses of statins in the general population.
“In practical terms, I would suggest that we all assess our patients regularly for their cardiovascular risk and make sure that we do not hesitate to start a statin in those who fulfil criteria according to the relevant national guidelines.”

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