Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Medications For Rheumatoid Arthritis Increases Herpes Risk

A class of drugs widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases might increase the risk of herpes, particularly among older adults and those who also take steroids

However, although the findings, which appear in the February 18 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, could raise awareness of this potential complication between doctors and patients, some experts say that is unlikely to change the way used drugs.

"We have changed the lives of people with the use of these drugs against tumor necrosis factor. People confined to their homes can now lead a relatively normal life," said Dr. Guy Fiocco, associate professor of internal medicine of the College Medical Center Health Sciences Texas A & M and director of rheumatology of the Scott & White Hospital in Temple. "This modest increase in risk is not going to prevent the medicine prescribed. Could make us more aware."

The increased risk did not reach statistical significance and, as Fiocco, rheumatoid arthritis itself probably increases the risk of herpes zoster, which takes steroids as many people who have the disease.

Although the relationship between TNF blockers and bacterial infections are relatively well-established relationships with viral infections is less clear.


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