A NEW study offers encouraging insights into how anti-inflammatory treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may reduce cardiovascular risk by improving endothelial function.
RA is already known to increase the likelihood of cardiovascular complications due to systemic inflammation, accelerated atherosclerosis, and endothelial dysfunction. In this prospective study, researchers assessed how six months of anti-inflammatory therapy affected specific biomarkers tied to endothelial cell dysfunction—namely IL-8, E-selectin, VCAM-1, and MCP-1—as well as how these changes correlated with arterial inflammation measured by PET/CT scans.
The study followed 40 RA patients and 19 age- and sex-matched osteoarthritis (OA) controls. After six months of therapy, levels of IL-8 and E-selectin significantly decreased in RA patients, especially among those who responded to treatment. These improvements were seen in both early and established RA, with IL-8 reductions observed across both groups and E-selectin reductions specifically in patients with established disease.
Importantly, reductions in IL-8 and E-selectin were significantly correlated with decreased arterial inflammation on FDG-PET/CT imaging, suggesting a direct link between inflammation control and vascular health.
“These findings support the growing body of evidence that treating systemic inflammation in RA may have important downstream effects on cardiovascular health,” the authors noted.
The study highlights the importance of early and targeted intervention in RA not only for joint protection but also for long-term cardiovascular outcomes.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference
Dijkshoorn B et al. Endothelial cell dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis: biomarkers IL-8, E-selectin, VCAM-1 and MCP-1 correlated with PET/CT. Rheumatology. 2025;DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keaf208.
