Anti-TNF, Thiopurines May Reduce Recurrence of Acute Arterial Events in IBD

Anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents and thiopurines may reduce the risk of acute arterial events in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who have a previous history of acute arterial events, suggest study findings published online ahead of print in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

The investigation included 27,185 patients with IBD and a history of acute arterial events from a French nationwide health insurance database. Patients were followed from January 1, 2009, until December 31, 2018.

Over 121,822 person-years, there were 6865 recurrent acute arterial events. The incidence rate was 56.4 per 1000 person-years, reported corresponding author Julien Kirchgesner, MD, PhD, of Sorbonne University, Paris, and coauthors.

Exposure to both anti-TNF agents and thiopurines was associated with a decreased risk of recurrent acute arterial events, according to the study. Compared with no exposure to either treatment, hazard ratios for recurrent acute arterial events were 0.75 with anti-TNF agents and 0.76 with thiopurines.

“In a nationwide cohort study of patients with IBD and a previous history of an acute arterial event, exposure to both anti-TNF and thiopurines were associated with a decreased risk of recurrent acute arterial events,” researchers concluded.

—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference
Dheyriat L, Ward D, Beaugerie L, Jess T, Kirchgesner J. Risk of recurrent acute arterial events associated with thiopurines and anti-TNF in inflammatory bowel diseases. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol.  Published online July 13, 2022.