Common arthritis drug found to lower blood pressure and risk of heart disease (Methotrexate -7.4 mm Hg)

Methotrexate, a common medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, has a newly recognized useful secondary effect of lowering blood pressure and potentially reduces the risk of heart disease in people with this condition. A new study led by researchers, has shown that methotrexate significantly lowers blood pressure when compared to another arthritis drug, sulfasalazine, marking the first clear evidence of this effect in newly diagnosed patients. Occurring in about 1 in 100 people, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease which leads to inflammation and pain in the connective tissue of a patient's joints. Over six months, the researchers...