IL6 and rheumatoid arthritis: Apart from those patients who underwent tocilizumab treatment (11 patients), in whom the use of this anti-interleukin-6 biologic agent led to higher CEC levels (β coefficient 8.0 [2.3–13.7]%, p = 0.007), as well as a correlation linking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intake and a higher CEC index (β coefficient 4.6 [1.5–7.6]%, p = 0.004), no association between RA therapy and CEC was found (Table 2).