Oral contraceptive use may improve symptoms of inflammatory arthritis in women, according to a cohort study conducted in Germany between 2010 and 2013.
The researchers analyzed reports on 273 18- to 60-year-old women who had arthritis for fewer than 6 months, from both a rheumatologist and the patients. The rheumatologist followed patients for 24 months, conducting standardized assessments at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Patients reported outcomes at 0, 6, 12, and 24 months.
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Of the patients studied, 50 (18%) had never used OCs, 170 (62%) had used OCs in the past, and 53 (19%) used OCs at the time of the study.
Inflammatory arthritis patients who were taking OCs at the time of the study or had previously taken OCs reported better outcomes within the first 2 years of disease, compared with patients who had never used OCs.
After adjustment for age, education, and body mass index, current or previous OC use was associated with better scores on the patient-reported Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease Score (RAID), Profile of Mood and Discomfort (PROFAD), Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Index (RADAI), and Hannover Functional Assessment (FFbH) at 12 months (P less than .05). In addition, over 2 years, average RAID scores were significantly better in women who had used or were using OCs (P less than .001).
Although better disease activity scores “seemed to be associated with the use of OCs, the parameters of active inflammation were not,” noted Dr. Katinka Albrecht of German Rheumatism Research Centre, Berlin, and her colleagues.
“The positive effects of past or current OC use on patient-reported outcomes within the first 2 years after the onset of inflammatory arthritis may be explained by long-lasting programming of [central nervous system] function,” but further research is needed to confirm this,” the researchers concluded.
The study was sponsored by a grant from Pfizer. The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Read the full study in Arthritis Care & Research (doi: 10.1002/acr.22667).