Statin Drugs Reduce Mortality Risk by 33% in Arthritis Patients

Reduction in mortality rate was observed in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis patients who took statin drugs.

Highlights:

Ankylosing spondylitis and Psoriatic arthritis are forms of arthritis that affects the spinal cord, skin and joints respectively.
Statin drugs are used to lower the lipids and reduce inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis patients.
Initiating statin drugs in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis were found to lower mortality rate by 33%.

Use of Statins by patients with ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis were found to have a low mortality risk by 33%, finds a study from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.//

The research findings was presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington this week.

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‘Statin therapy reduces mortality rate by 33% in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis patients.’

Statin drugs are usually prescribed to lower the lipids and reduce inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis patients.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of arthritis which affects the spine and causes inflammation of the spinal joints. It is more likely to affect men with HLA antigen and who lack rheumatoid factor.

Psoriatic arthritis is form of arthritis which usually occurs after psoriasis and may damage the joints. Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition which results in red patches of the skin.

Ankylosing Spondylitis - Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment FAQs
Ankylosing spondylitis is a rheumatic disease that causes arthritis of the spine and sacro iliac joint.

A research team from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston has recently found the benefits of statins in reducing the mortality rate of patients with ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arhritis.

Amar Oza, MD, a rheumatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital along with his team said, "The expanding literature on the dual-role of statins to lower both inflammation and cholesterol levels has naturally led to interest in the role of statins in inflammatory arthritis."

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"A randomized trial found such a dual benefit among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and a population-based study of patients with RA found a survival benefit associated with statin use as well. As such, we hoped to quantify the potential impact of statins in the seronegative spondyloarthropathies, as the risk of all-cause mortality and even cardiovascular-specific mortality has shown to be elevated in these conditions."

The research study was conducted on the population database of patients with ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis between 2001 to 2014. Fifty different variables including disease duration, socioeconomic status, body-mass index, lifestyle articles and medication use were studied.

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitation in the motion and function of multiple joints.

Out of 2904 patients with ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis who started statins, 271 patients died during a follow up with a mean of 5.3 years. And in patients who did not take statins 376 people died during a follow up in a mean of 5.15 years.

Dr. Oza said, "Given the increased risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease compared to the general population, patients with seronegative spondyloarthropathies like Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis may benefit from the dual anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering properties of statins, perhaps even more than in the general population."

"This observational study raises the possibility that clinicians may have a lower threshold for starting their patients on statins to mitigate this mortality risk. To that effect, it sets the groundwork for potential clinical trials to come, which will provide high-level evidence about the impact statins have on their health."

The author concludes that further research is required to study the potential benefits of statin therapy to reduce mortality and other cardiovascular causes.

Source-Medindia