In a nutshell
This study investigated if biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) affect diabetes risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
They found that bDMARD use was associated with lower rates of diabetes in these patients.
Some background
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition. It is caused by persistant inflammation. This causes painful swelling in the joints. Joint tissue also degenerates over time. RA is treated with drugs that reduce inflammation. They are called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Biological DMARDs (bDMARDs) are one type. These bind to inflammatory proteins or receptors. This reduces inflammatory chemicals and slows tissue damage.
Inflammation has many effects on the body. It is linked to another common condition, diabetes. Inflammation may affect how the body deals with blood glucose (sugar). This can lead to diabetes. Studies have shown that there is an increased risk of diabetes in patients with RA. Reducing systemic (body) inflammation might reduce the risk of diabetes. It is unclear if bDMARD treatment reduces the risk of diabetes in patients with RA.
Methods & findings
This study reviewed 25 clinical studies on inflammatory diseases. This included RA. There were 136,631 patients overall. Some of these patients were using bDMARDs and some were not. The use of bDMARDs was compared to diabetes risk.
The use of bDMARD treatment significantly reduced the diabetes risk by 46% in patients with RA. This effect was seen in studies that had a follow-up of more than 1 year.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that bDMARD use was associated with lower rates of diabetes in patients with RA.
The fine print
The number of patients in the some of the studies was low. The follow-up time was also short in some studies. More studies with larger patient numbers are needed.
Published By :
Pharmacological research
Date :
Sep 29, 2020
