TNF and rheumatoid arthritis: The main causes of increased cardiovascular risk in RA patients are inflammatory heart and vascular lesions accounted for by cytokines such as TNF and IL-6, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, accelerated progression of atherosclerosis, and side effects of drug therapy, e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids as well as reduced physical activity due to joint lesions [4].