Lower hydroxychloroquine dose for lupus tied to hospitalizations for flares

“I don’t think this question is settled,” he told this news organization. “The 5 mg/kg dose recommendation was based on terms of safety but not of effectiveness. We don’t know what the effective dose of HCQ is, and this study shows that low dose is less effective.”

He agreed there needs to be a risk/benefit balance, but noted, “HCQ retinopathy is very rare and we have great tools to screen for it.”

Study limitations include incomplete information on whether patients adhered to treatment plans and reasons for using lower-dose HCQ.

The study authors and Dr. Duarte Garcia report no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.