This study, conducted by researchers from Yonsei University College of Medicine in South Korea, investigated the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of arthritis affecting the spine.
They looked at how treatments with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) and interleukin-17 inhibitors (IL-17is) affected this risk. Analyzing data from over 43,000 AS patients who had not previously had cardiovascular events, the study found that those treated with TNFis had a roughly 30% lower risk of such events compared to those not treated with biological drugs. However, treatment with IL-17is didn’t show a significant difference in cardiovascular risk compared to either TNFis or no biological treatment.
This suggests that TNFis may be better at reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems in AS patients.