Key clinical point: Use of beta blockers was significantly associated with remission in RA based on the Simplified Disease Activity Index and Clinical Disease Activity Index.
Major finding : Approximately 11% of the RA patients were using systemic beta blockers, and beta blocker use was associated with less frequent remission, both in the total study cohort and the cohort of patients with cardiovascular disease (adjusted hazard ratios 0.70 and 0.75, respectively).
Study details: The data come from a pooled cohort analysis of five randomized trials of tocilizumab and/or csDMARDs including 5,502 RA patients.
Disclosures: The study received no outside funding. Two researchers were supported by Beat Cancer Research Fellowships from Cancer Council South Australia and a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Australia. The lead author and other researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.
Source: Abuhelwa AY. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2021 Apr 12. doi: 10.1177/1759720X211009020.