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Letter
Leflunomide and hypertension
  1. B Rozman1,
  2. S Praprotnik1,
  3. D Logar1,
  4. M Tomšič1,
  5. M Hojnik1,
  6. M Kos-Golja1,
  7. R Accetto2,
  8. P Dolenc2
  1. 1Department of Rheumatology, Medical Centre Ljubljana, Vodnikova 62, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
  2. 2Department of Hypertension, Medical Centre Ljubljana
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr B Rozman;
    kc.lj.rozman{at}siol.net

https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.61.6.567

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    Leflunomide is a new isoxazole drug with disease modifying properties for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Hypertension has been mentioned as a common side effect of the treatment. It was found in up to 10.6% of patients receiving 25 mg leflunomide in a phase II study.1 New onset hypertension occurred in 3.7% of patients in a phase III European study,2 and in 2.1% of patients, with a mean increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 2.2 and 1.9 mm Hg, respectively, in an American phase III study.3 There was no evidence that hypertension was related to an impairment of renal function or proteinuria. The changes in blood pressure during leflunomide treatment have not been studied in detail.

    PATIENTS AND METHODS

    Thirty consecutive patients fulfilling the American Rheumatism Association criteria for RA were recruited into a prospective study and treated with standard doses of leflunomide. Other enrolment criteria included stable treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs up to the maximum recommended dose and/or corticosteroid treatment …

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