DMARDs lowers risk of incident diabetes mellitus

January 01, 0001

DMARDs lowers risk of incident diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus has been linked to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriasis. These US researchers examined the risk of incident DM in RA or psoriasis patients and their use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) via a retrospective cohort study (n=13,905).

The researchers found: "New diabetes cases and respective incidence rates per 1000 person-years were: other nonbiologic DMARDs (55 cases among 3993 treatment episodes, rate, 50.2), TNF inhibitors (80 cases among 4623 treatment episodes, rate, 19.7), methotrexate (82 cases among 8195 treatment episodes, rate, 23.8), and hydroxychloroquine (50 cases among 5682 treatment episodes, rate, 22.2). The multivariate adjusted hazard ratios for DM were 0.62 for TNF inhibitors, 0.77 for methotrexate, and 0.54 for hydroxychloroquine compared with other nonbiologic DMARDS."

The researchers concluded: "Among patients with RA or psoriasis, the adjusted risk of DM was lower for individuals starting a TNF inhibitor or hydroxychloroquine compared with initiation of other nonbiologic DMARDs."

This study found use of certain DMARDS in RA and psoriasis may lower the risk of developing DM, which may provide further insights into the disease process of diabetes.

For the full abstract, click here.

JAMA 305(24): 2525-2531, 22 June 2011 © 2011 American Medical Association
Association Between Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs and Diabetes Risk in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriasis. Daniel H. Solomon, Elena Massarotti, Rajesh Garg, Jun Liu, Claire Canning, Sebastian Schneeweiss.

Category: B. Blood/Immune Mechanisms , T. Endocrine/Metabolic/Nutritional. Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, diabetes, insulin resistance, DMARDs, cohort study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 12 July 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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