Cardiovascular safety of Janus Kinase inhibitor therapy in a multi-ethnic population

Abstract

Background: Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors are a class of drugs that have been shown to be effective in treating a variety of autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs). However, there have been concerns about their potential to increase the risk of cardiovascular events. Some studies have found no ethnic differences. This study aimed to assess the cardiovascular safety of JAK inhibitor therapy in a large multi-ethnic patient cohort and to identify if there is a correlation between the age of patients in the cohort with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 309 patients with ARDs who were treated with JAK inhibitors. Cardiovascular events that occurred while on JAK inhibitor therapy were identified retrospectively. Results: The mean age of the study cohort was 59.3 years, and 73% were Caucasian and 25% were South Asian in ethnicity. There was a positive and statistically significant correlation between cardiovascular events and age of the patients (rpb = 0.12, n = 309, p = 0.036), but the correlation was weak based on the rpb value of 0.12. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that JAK inhibitor therapy is generally safe in older patients with ARDs in a multi-ethnic population. However, further research is needed to identify any other patient factors that may increase the risk of cardiovascular events. The findings of this study could also have practise implications in the use of JAK inhibitor therapy in patients over 65 years of age.