Study shows methotrexate beneficial in cutting risk of heart attack

LONDON A study published in the journal Arthritis Therapy, discovered that the rheumatoid arthritis drug, methotrexate, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke significantly.

Methotrexate alters the body’s use of folic acid, a component needed for cell growth. It was initially created as a cancer drug that would generate cell growth as early as three-to-six weeks after treatment. Now it is very effective in treating the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis, which, according to published reports, affects 20 million people worldwide.

The study was conducted in 15 countries, examining over 4,300 people to examine the disease as well as testing the medicine’s benefits. Researchers involved also stemmed from all over the world including Spain, Argentina and the United States.

The studies have found that using methotrexate for one year decreases the risk of heart attack by 18 percent and stroke by 11 percent. “This shows that we are really making a difference in patients’ lives,” stated Tuulikki Sokka, a researcher with Jyvaskyla Central Hospital in Finland,