title: Impact of 24 months of anti-TNF therapy versus methotrexate on body weight in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective observational study.
abstract: To evaluate the impact of anti-TNF-α therapy on the body weight of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients following 24 months of treatment. Data were collected on all RA patients included in the Veneto Region's Registry of Biological Therapy from January 2007 to July 2012. Inclusion criteria were: start of monotherapy with adalimumab, etanercept, or methotrexate, no previous use of biologic therapy, and at least 24 months of treatment. At baseline, 12, and 24 months, each patient completed a questionnaire about physical activity, smoking, alcohol, and food habits. One hundred and thirty-one RA patients in monotherapy with etanercept (n = 47), adalimumab (n = 44), and methotrexate (n = 40) were enrolled for this study. After 24 months of therapy, there was an increase of weight only in patients treated with anti-TNF-α. Patients on etanercept and adalimumab therapy showed a risk to gain weight six times greater compared to those on methotrexate therapy. The results of present study show that the use of anti-TNF-α in RA patients can be associated to a significant increase of body weight. This increase is not shown in patients under treatment with methotrexate. A more careful evaluation of weight changes needs to be considered in RA patients under anti-TNF-α treatment.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, n.2, 35128, Padova, Italy. paolo.sfriso@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sfriso
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, n.2, 35128, Padova, Italy.|Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caso
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, n.2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe Sebastiano
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Filardo
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, n.2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Botsios
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, n.2, 35128, Padova, Italy.|Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University Federico II of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scarpa
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, n.2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Todesco
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nutrition Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spinella
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, n.2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliviero
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, n.2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Punzi
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D004435:Eating; D000068800:Etanercept / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068879:Adalimumab; D000068800:Etanercept; D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: Anti-TNF alpha; Body mass index; Body weight; Methotrexate; Rheumatoid arthritis