Durability of treatment with methotrexate in Venezuelan patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Gloris Sánchez, Julio S. Castro, Soham Al Snih, Luísa Pérez Blanco, María H. Esteva, Ernesto García MacGregor, Marielena González, Ysabel Granados, Francisco Marín, Alexis Rosas, Antonio Tristano, Esther Chirinos, Luís Mundaraín, Gilberto Sanoja, Guisela Zambrano-Marín, Martín A. Rodríguez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

A multicenter, national, retrospective, and cross-sectional study of 219 hospital-based Venezuelan patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was aimed to evaluate the probability of continuity of treatment with oral methotrexate (MTX). Treatment survival decreased from 92% at 12 months to 42% at 180 months, as assessed by life table analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method. Forty-seven patients stopped treatment and adverse effects (29.7%) and lack of continuous access to medication (19.1%) were the most common causes for withdrawal. MTX survival was decreased in the group with combined MTX plus leflunomide therapy, as shown by the log-rank test. Venezuelan patients with RA have a probability of continuing treatment with oral MTX comparable to non-Hispanic patient populations. However, concomitant use of leflunomide may increase the risk of interruption of MTX treatment in this RA population.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)531-536
Number of pages6
JournalRheumatology International
Volume27
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2007

Keywords

  • Latin America
  • Methotrexate
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Tolerability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Rheumatology
  • Immunology

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