COVID-19 outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs
An erratum to this article was published (RMD Open, 1 Jul 2025 ↗)
Main finding · COVID-19 incidenceResult — go to the resultHazard ratio 1.058 95% CI 0.895–1.250Authors' conclusion
RA with JAKi users had a significant risk for hospitalisation, mortality or composite adverse outcomes, especially higher mortality among those without COVID-19 vaccination.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with RA using b/tsDMARDs, US Collaborative Network in TriNetX, 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022Propensity score-matched (PSM) cohorts
- Participants
- 2,676 / 2,676 / 967 / 967
- Exposure
- Janus-associated kinase inhibitors (JAKi) or IL-6i vs TNFi in RA
- JAKin = 2,676
- TNFi (vs JAKi)n = 2,676reference
- IL-6in = 967
- TNFi (vs IL-6i)n = 967reference
- Outcome
- COVID-19 incidence and adverse outcomes (hospitalisation, critical care services, mechanical ventilation and mortality)
Methodological detailspropensity-score matched, TriNetX US Collaborative Network
- Propensity-score matched
- TriNetX US Collaborative Network
Main finding
COVID-19 incidence
Hazard ratio
1.058
95% CI 0.895–1.250
JAKivs TNFi (vs JAKi)
HR 1.058 (95% CI 0.895–1.250)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | HR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| HospitalisationJAKivs TNFi (vs JAKi) | 1.194 (1.003–1.423) | |
| MortalityJAKivs TNFi (vs JAKi) | 1.440 (1.049–1.976) | |
| Composite adverse outcomesJAKivs TNFi (vs JAKi) | 1.242 (1.051–1.468) | |
| Mortality without COVID-19 vaccination (subgroup)JAKivs TNFi (vs JAKi) | 1.511 (1.077–2.121) | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
IL-6i vs TNFi, incidence and adverse outcomes
- IL-6i users compared with TNFi users did not have the above findings
Original publication
COVID-19 outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs. RMD Open. Published 21 July 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →