Is Congestive Heart Failure Triggered or Treated by Inhibition of TNF?

Patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis, especially those with highly active disease, are at high risk for development or worsening of heart failure.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α contributes to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to progression of heart failure. In RA patients, treatment with TNF-α inhibitors attenuates signs and symptoms of RA; surprisingly, in patients with heart failure, treatment with these drugs has no benefit. German researchers investigated possible negative or positive contributions of anti-TNF treatment to heart failure in RA patients (who have high risk for heart failure).

The 4248 enrolled RA patients were selected from an ongoing countrywide study of biological therapy; 2757 had started anti-TNF treatment, and 1491 had begun taking traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Compared with patients in the DMARD group, patients in …

Reviewing Author

Deborah M. DeMarco, MD

Is Congestive Heart Failure Triggered or Treated by Inhibition of TNF?

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Reviewing Author