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Cardiovascular Risk in IBD Similar After Treatment With JAK vs TNF Inhibitors
People with IBD who need advanced therapies may worry about cardiovascular risks linked to some JAK inhibitors. This study suggests, in a real-world cohort with cardiovascular risk factors, short-term (1-year) MACE risk was similar for JAK vs TNF inhibitors, but longer follow-up is needed.
Adult patients with IBD (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) who have cardiovascular risk factors, clinicians prescribing JAK or TNF inhibitors, and researchers studying IBD drug safety.
What To Know
Study headline: a retrospective real-world cohort presented at AIBD 2024 found no significant difference in 1-year major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) risk between patients with IBD and cardiovascular risk factors treated with JAK inhibitors versus TNF inhibitors.
This analysis used TriNetX data and propensity-score matching in patients aged ≥50 with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease who had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. The most common JAK agent reported in the cohort was upadacitinib.
After matching, rates of MACE and secondary outcomes (stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, malignancy, all-cause mortality, venous thromboembolism) did not differ significantly between groups. The investigators recommended continued monitoring and prospective long-term studies to better define cardiovascular safety in high-risk populations.
Key limitations and tone: This report summarizes a conference abstract and retrospective database analysis; it is not a randomized trial. The findings are preliminary and described by the investigators as requiring longer prospective study for definitive conclusions.
Results come from a retrospective, propensity-matched analysis using electronic-health-record data presented as an abstract at a conference (AIBD 2024). Such studies can help signal safety patterns but cannot prove causation; randomized or long-term prospective studies are needed to confirm cardiovascular safety.
