Interleukin-6 Blockade Does Not Impair Exercise-Induced Glucose Uptake and Insulin Sensitivity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease, and exercise is a key non-pharmacological therapy. We examined whether IL-6 inhibition, a common biologic treatment for RA, impairs the acute metabolic benefits of exercise, given IL-6’s proposed role as a mediator of exercise-induced glucose metabolism.