Cardiovascular risk assessment after anti-TNF treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis with Strain Echocardiography

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents on myocardial function and cardiovascular risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients receiving anti-TNF agents for inflammatory arthritis for six months by using standard and speckle tracking echocardiography. Methods: The study was conducted on a group of 30 patients composed of 12 with RA and 18 with AS. Demographic, standard and speckle tracking echocardiographic data, disease activities, laboratory results related to our research were prospectively assessed. Results: In the study, there was a statistically significant decrease in disease activity score, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity index, Health Assessment Questionnaire, and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index scores and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein values of patients with RA and AS in the sixth month of anti-TNF treatment. There was a decrease in left ventricular global longitudinal strain values assessed with speckle tracking echocardiography in the sixth month compared to the baseline and this difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Myocardial strain imaging might be useful in assessing the early development of cardiac failure in patients with high cardiovascular risk, such as patients with RA and AS.