Open AccessPositive effect of hydroxychloroquine on lipid profiles of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A Veterans Affair cohort
Author(s) -
Myriam Guevara,
Bernard Ng
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
european journal of rheumatology :/european journal of rheumatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2147-9720
pISSN - 2148-4279
DOI - 10.5152/eurjrheum.2020.20193
Subject(s) - medicine , hydroxychloroquine , dyslipidemia , rheumatoid arthritis , cohort , veterans affairs , lipid profile , population , cohort study , statin , disease , cholesterol , environmental health , covid-19 , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Despite remarkable improvements in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment, there is evidence indicating that the mortality gap between patients with RA and the general population is not closing. The increase in mortality rates in patients with RA is predominantly due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Literature suggests that important links exist between RA inflammation and atherosclerosis in CVD. Dyslipidemia is a well-known risk factor of atherosclerosis. Previous studies have suggested that antimalarials, chloroquine diphosphate, and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, have a beneficial effect on the lipid levels. However, the studies had small sample sizes. We analyzed a Veterans Affair RA cohort of 2,925 patients to characterize the effect of 4 months' use of HCQ on the lipid levels.