ACR Highlights Study on Folic Acid and RA

ATLANTAThe American College of Rheumatology recently published new research on the importance of folic acid with rheumatic diseases.

Additional studies on rheumatic diseases were also published in Arthritis & Rheumatism and its sister journal Arthritis Care & Research, and all of the studies are published on Wiley Online Library. The studies focused not only on rheumatic diseases but included rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile arthritis and fibromyalgia.

According to a new study in Arthritis & Rheumatism, lower levels of folic acid (erythrocyte-folate) are associated wit high disease activity and non-response following three months of treatment with methotrexate, a gold standard therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. The research suggests folic acid levels may predict how patients will respond to methotreaxte. None of the folate biomarkers including homocysteine, vitamin B6, B12 or folic acid were linked to adverse events.