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Use of chloroquine in rheumatic disease carries retinopathy risks
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The antimalarial drug chloroquine can increase the risk of retinopathy when used as a treatment for rheumatic diseases, a retrospective study confirmed. Among patients taking chloroquine for rheumatic diseases, higher mean daily dose and higher lean body-weight-adjusted daily dose were both significantly associated with chloroquine retinopathy, Mexican researchers found.
Dr. R. Araiza-Casillas and colleagues at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico, reviewed the records of 16 patients with rheumatic diseases and confirmed chloroquine retinopathy. Each case was then compared with up to four control patients matched for age, sex, diagnosis and time on chloroquine. All the retinopathy patients were female.
According to the study, significant differences were seen in mean daily dose (MMD) and lean body weight-adjusted daily dose (LBWDD) between retinopathy and control patients; MMD was 212 among retinopathy patients and 170 among control patients (P = .009). LBWDD was 5 among retinopathy patients and 4.2 among control patients (P = .03). In a subgroup analysis, MDD remained significant only in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The authors noted that presence of keratopathy also significantly increased the risk for retinopathy (P = .01).
The study is published in the journal Lupus.