5:02pm Friday 23rd May 2008
By Ella Pickover
SUFFERERS of arthritis are being asked to take part in a drugs trial.
Fifty people from St Albans are being invited to take part in the clinical study which is aiming to reduce death rates from heart attacks and strokes for people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
The five year trail is to see 3,800 people nation-wide take part by testing a new cholesterol-busting drug called statins.
The local research team is led by consultant rheumatologist Dr Adam Young at St Albans City Hospital.
"It has been known for some time that there is a link between rheumatoid arthritis and cardio-vascular mortality," said Dr Young.
"Statins lead to a reduction of cardiovascular death rates by reducing cholesterol and possibly inflammation.
"If this trial works as expected, we could be looking at a reduction of the absolute risk of cardiovascular death rate in RA patients by ten to 15 per cent, or the relative risk by 35 to 40 per cent, which is significant."
The trail is currently recruiting RA patients over the age of 50 and or if they have suffered for more than ten years.
More information can be found at the RA trial website: http://www.dgoh.nhs.uk/tracera or by contacting 01612 755639.
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