IL1B and myocardial infarction: Interestingly, several lines of evidence suggest that effective systemic anti-inflammatory therapy may reduce this risk (1–6): A recent large randomized study showed that canakinumab, an antibody blocking interleukin (IL)-1β, is protective against myocardial infarction in a population at risk whereas its immunosuppressive effect also exposed patients to an increased risk of infections (7).