This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Triple therapy, lower RA disease activity linked to lower cholesterol
Triple therapy with methotrexate, sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine and reduced disease activity from baseline was associated with lower total, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels after 2 years compared with patients who did not receive triple therapy, according to recently published data.
Researchers studied data from a subset of 459 patients in the Treatment of Early Aggressive
Rheumatoid Arthritis (TEAR) trial. All patients were seropositive, and patients in the treatment groups had high disease activity with a mean DAS28 of greater than 5.4. Patients were recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and had little or no prior exposure to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Serum cholesterol levels were measured at baseline, 24 weeks, 48 weeks and 102 weeks.
Analysis showed larger reductions in serum total, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in patients who received triple therapy at 24 weeks compared to patients who received methotrexate monotherapy. Measures of disease activity, including DAS28, C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, were associated with changed cholesterol levels, and patients who received triple therapy had lower LDL and higher HDL cholesterol with time compared to patients who received methotrexate monotherapy or methotrexate plus etanercept. Strong and significant correlations between lower total cholesterol to LDL ratios were observed in all models. Higher BMI, smoking and older age were associated with higher levels of total, HDL and LDL cholesterol in all models. – by Shirley Pulawski
Disclosures: The researchers report the study was supported by grant R21-AR-057913-01A1 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, NIH, and by a grant from the Arthritis Foundation. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.