A comparative study of anti-inflammatory and antidyslipidemic effects of fenofibrate and statins on rheumatoid arthritis

We prospectively compared the anti-inflammatory and antidyslipidemic effects of fenofibrate and statins in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Forty-four RA patients [male (M) = 7, female (F) = 37] with dyslipidemia were enrolled in this 6-month study and randomly allocated to the fenofibrate (2 M + 21 F = 23) or statins (5 M + 16 F = 21) group. We measured blood chemistry (serum lipid profile, sugar, urate, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase) and blood pressure 2 h after breakfast. Visual analog scale (VAS), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and prednisolone (PSL) dosage were also recorded immediately before and after the study. Fenofibrate, but not statins, significantly decreased serum levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol, and triglycerides (all p < 0.05). A significant improvement in VAS was observed in both the fenofibrate group (49.1 ± 24.7 → 14.7 ± 11.2; p < 0.0001) and the statins group (47.4 ± 29.7 → 20.2 ± 16.5; p < 0.001). PSL dosage significantly decreased only in the fenofibrate group (3.58 ± 2.68 → 2.00 ± 2.22 mg/day; p < 0.01). Significant correlation was observed between ∆VAS and ∆CRP in the fenofibrate group (p < 0.05). Fenofibrate showed more anti-inflammatory and antidyslipidemic activity than statins in RA.