Adjusted risk of composite* cardiovascular events by DMARD and steroid exposure
| Exposure periods (N) | HR | 95% CI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| TNF antagonists | 4585 | 0.39 | 0.19 to 0.82 |
| Methotrexate | 4791 | 0.94 | 0.49 to 1.80 |
| Other non-biological DMARDs | 1724 | Referent | – |
| Prednisone | |||
| None | 6689 | Referent | – |
| <7.5 mg daily | 3141 | 1.78 | 1.06 to 2.96 |
| ≥7.5 mg daily | 1090 | 2.62 | 1.29 to 5.31 |
Adjusted for age, gender, smoking status, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, previous myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke and modified health assessment questionnaire score, aspirin use, naproxen use, non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor use.
* Composite includes MI, transient ischaemic attack/stroke and cardiovascular-related deaths.
DMARDs, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.