Methotrexate & Blood Pressure in Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Methotrexate, a cornerstone treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), may also offer an unexpected cardiovascular benefit.1
- New findings from a controlled comparative study showed the drug significantly lowers systolic blood pressure (SBP) in adults with newly diagnosed RA,compared with sulfasalazine,another disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD).
- The study, published in Annals of Medicine followed 62 treatment-naïve patients with RA over 6 months, with half receiving subcutaneous methotrexate and the other half oral sulfasalazine.
Methotrexate May offer Unexpected Cardiovascular benefit in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Methotrexate, a cornerstone treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), may also offer an unexpected cardiovascular benefit.1
New findings from a controlled comparative study showed the drug significantly lowers systolic blood pressure (SBP) in adults with newly diagnosed RA,compared with sulfasalazine,another disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD).
The study, published in Annals of Medicine followed 62 treatment-naïve patients with RA over 6 months, with half receiving subcutaneous methotrexate and the other half oral sulfasalazine. Researchers measured changes in blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and disease activity.By 6 months, patients treated with methotrexate had a mean reduction in systolic blood pressure of 7.4 mm hg compared with those taking sulfasalazine (95% CI, -14.0 to -0.8; P = .03).
The cardiovascular benefit may come from the DMARD calming inflammation or improving blood vessel activity. | Image credit: DenisMArt – stock.adobe.com
Lead author Arduino A. Mangoni, MD, PhD, strategic professor and head of clinical pharmacology at Flinders University, called the reduction clinically meaningful, as reducing blood pressure can in turn reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.2
“We’ve known for a while that methotrexate helps with inflammation, but now we’re seeing that it may also help lower blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease,” he said in a news release.2 “This could be a big step forward in how we care for people with rheumatoid arthritis.”
Cardiovascular Risk in RA
RA affects approximately 1 in 100 people worldwide and is associated with systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and a heightened risk of