The effect of methotrexate on cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review
The effect of methotrexate on cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review
Objectives: patients with RA have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This is due to traditional risk factors and the effects of chronic inflammation. MTX is the first-choice DMARD in RA. We performed a systematic literature review to determine whether MTX affects the risk of CVD in patients with RA.
Methods: we searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane database, database of abstracts of reviews of effects, health technology assessment and Science Citation Index from 1980 to 2008. Conference proceedings (British Society of Rheumatology, ACR and EULAR) were searched from 2005 to 2008. Papers were included if they assessed the relationship between MTX use and CVD in patients with RA. Two reviewers independently assessed each title and abstract for relevance and quality.
Results: a total of 2420 abstracts were identified, of which 18 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Two studies assessed the relationship between MTX use and CVD mortality, one demonstrated a significant reduction in CVD mortality and the second a trend towards reduction. Five studies considered all-cause CVD morbidity. Four demonstrated a significant reduction in CVD morbidity and the fifth a trend towards reduction. MTX use in the year prior to the development of RA decreased the risk of CVD for 3–4 years. Four studies considered myocardial infarction, one demonstrated a decreased risk and three a trend towards decreased risk with MTX use.
Conclusion: the current evidence suggests that MTX use is associated with a reduced risk of CVD events in patients with RA. This suggests that reducing the inflammation in RA using MTX not only improves disease-specific outcomes but may also reduce collateral damage such as atherosclerosis
rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, systematic literature review
295-307
Westlake, Sarah L.
e16d25fb-81f5-473c-b564-07256fc6d3a7
Colebatch, Alexandra N.
9739b630-ba0f-45b1-b2ad-f176faf2d909
Baird, Janis
f4bf2039-6118-436f-ab69-df8b4d17f824
Kiely, Patrick
7d818b1c-d717-49cc-b1d5-21ae0acf08d7
Quinn, Mark
e811515c-046b-4d5b-b13a-76a715bbc090
Choy, Ernest
140fe55e-3fa1-433d-9995-b72c7cee464e
Ostor, Andrew J.K.
618e25fd-5d6b-47e0-8ee0-fba579618766
Edwards, Christopher J.
dcb27fec-75ea-4575-a844-3588bcf14106
February 2010
Westlake, Sarah L.
e16d25fb-81f5-473c-b564-07256fc6d3a7
Colebatch, Alexandra N.
9739b630-ba0f-45b1-b2ad-f176faf2d909
Baird, Janis
f4bf2039-6118-436f-ab69-df8b4d17f824
Kiely, Patrick
7d818b1c-d717-49cc-b1d5-21ae0acf08d7
Quinn, Mark
e811515c-046b-4d5b-b13a-76a715bbc090
Choy, Ernest
140fe55e-3fa1-433d-9995-b72c7cee464e
Ostor, Andrew J.K.
618e25fd-5d6b-47e0-8ee0-fba579618766
Edwards, Christopher J.
dcb27fec-75ea-4575-a844-3588bcf14106
Westlake, Sarah L., Colebatch, Alexandra N., Baird, Janis, Kiely, Patrick, Quinn, Mark, Choy, Ernest, Ostor, Andrew J.K. and Edwards, Christopher J.
(2010)
The effect of methotrexate on cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic literature review.
Rheumatology, 49 (2), .
(doi:10.1093/rheumatology/kep366).
(PMID:19946022)
Abstract
Objectives: patients with RA have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This is due to traditional risk factors and the effects of chronic inflammation. MTX is the first-choice DMARD in RA. We performed a systematic literature review to determine whether MTX affects the risk of CVD in patients with RA.
Methods: we searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane database, database of abstracts of reviews of effects, health technology assessment and Science Citation Index from 1980 to 2008. Conference proceedings (British Society of Rheumatology, ACR and EULAR) were searched from 2005 to 2008. Papers were included if they assessed the relationship between MTX use and CVD in patients with RA. Two reviewers independently assessed each title and abstract for relevance and quality.
Results: a total of 2420 abstracts were identified, of which 18 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Two studies assessed the relationship between MTX use and CVD mortality, one demonstrated a significant reduction in CVD mortality and the second a trend towards reduction. Five studies considered all-cause CVD morbidity. Four demonstrated a significant reduction in CVD morbidity and the fifth a trend towards reduction. MTX use in the year prior to the development of RA decreased the risk of CVD for 3–4 years. Four studies considered myocardial infarction, one demonstrated a decreased risk and three a trend towards decreased risk with MTX use.
Conclusion: the current evidence suggests that MTX use is associated with a reduced risk of CVD events in patients with RA. This suggests that reducing the inflammation in RA using MTX not only improves disease-specific outcomes but may also reduce collateral damage such as atherosclerosis
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e-pub ahead of print date: 27 November 2009
Published date: February 2010
Keywords:
rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, systematic literature review
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 73199
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/73199
ISSN: 1462-0324
PURE UUID: d2dfb6a5-7066-4954-b6ad-3d2892500882
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Date deposited: 03 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:47
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Contributors
Author:
Sarah L. Westlake
Author:
Alexandra N. Colebatch
Author:
Patrick Kiely
Author:
Mark Quinn
Author:
Ernest Choy
Author:
Andrew J.K. Ostor
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