A study led by CHP/PCOR trainee Kaleb D. Michaud has found that drugs known as anti-TNF inhibitors, as well as the drug methotrexate, decrease the risk of death among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, while the drug prednisone increases mortality risks. Michaud -- a participant in the the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Fellowship Training Program at CHP/PCOR -- presented the research on Nov. 14 at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting. The study, co-authored by Dr. Frederick Wolfe, is the first to examine the impact of anti-TNF therapy on mortality rates in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Using data from the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases, the researchers were able to follow a large-scale sample of 19,580 rheumatoid arthritis patients (among whom 1,129 died) over a total of 63,811 patient years. The researchers' analyses found that the reduced mortality associated with the use of anti-TNF inhibitors was due primarily to a reduction in cardiovascular disorders.

The study results were discussed in the online newsletter JointAndBone, on the Web site DocGuide.com, and in an American College of Rheumatology press release.