Effect of Hydroxychloroquine in combination with Leflunomide on the lipid profile in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective To investigate the effect of Hydroxychloroquine plus Leflunomide on the lipid profile and disease activity index in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods A total of 140 elderly patients with RA who met the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria were treated with Hydroxychloroquine (Group A, n=70) or leflunomide combined with hydroxychloroquine (Group B, n=70), and 100 healthy volunteers were selected as controls. The lipid profile was compared between the patient groups and control group. Lipid levels, Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured before treatment and 6 months after treatment between Group A and Group B. Results Compared with the control group, RA patients exhibited higher levels of total cholesterol (TC, P 0.05). TC and LDL-C levels, ESR, CRP, DAS28, SJC and TJC were lower in Group B than in Group A (all P<0.05). Conclusions Hydroxychloroquine in combination with Leflunomide therapy can not only control inflammation but also improve the lipid profile, and is more effective than single-drug therapy. The combination may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events in patients with RA. Key words: Arthritis, rheumatoid; Hyperlipidemias; Antirheumatic agents