Methotrexate, a common drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), may also lower blood pressure and protect the heart, according to new research from Flinders University and Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN).
The study, published in the Annals of Medicine, is the first to clearly show that methotrexate reduces blood pressure in newly diagnosed RA patients when compared with another arthritis medication, sulfasalazine.
RA affects about 1 in 100 people and causes inflammation and pain in the joints.
The researchers followed 62 newly diagnosed RA patients over six months. Half took methotrexate, and the other half took sulfasalazine. Blood pressure, joint inflammation, and artery stiffness were measured at the beginning, and again after one and six months.
Professor Arduino Mangoni, the lead author, reported that methotrexate lowered systolic blood pressure (the pressure when your heart beats) by an average of 7.4 mmHg more than sulfasalazine. Even small reductions in blood pressure can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke.
This blood pressure-lowering effect did not seem related to reduced arthritis symptoms or artery stiffness. Instead, it may be due to reduced inflammation or improved blood vessel function.
“This finding is exciting,” Professor Mangoni said. “Methotrexate might help not just with arthritis, but also with heart health.”
The study also found that some genetic traits made patients more likely to benefit from methotrexate’s blood pressure effects. This could lead to personalized treatments in the future, using genetic testing to find who might get the most heart protection from methotrexate.
Dr. Sara Tommasi, study coordinator, added, “Although more research is needed, our results suggest methotrexate could help protect the heart, especially in people at high risk due to inflammation.”
The study is published in Annals of Medicine.
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