Clinical Edge Journal Scan

Early RA outcomes have improved in the current decade


 

Key clinical point: A recent large cohort of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) revealed favorable 10-year outcomes, significantly better than the outcomes observed in a previous cohort of patients studied in 1993.

Major finding: At 10 years, disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate remission, DAS28 sustained remission, and drug-free remission were achieved by 52.4%, 40.1%, and 14.1% of patients, respectively. Half of the patients did not have a serious functional disability. Mortality rates were lower than that in the 1993 cohort ( 4.5% vs. 11.0% ) and similar to that in the general population.

Study details: The data come from an analysis of 521 patients from the ESPOIR cohort who were diagnosed with early arthritis between 2003 and 2005 with a probable or certain diagnosis of RA and had never been prescribed disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or glucocorticoids.

Disclosures: This work was supported by the Merck Sharp and Dohme, INSERM, French Society of Rheumatology, AbbVie, Pfizer, Lilly, Fresenius, and Galapagos. The authors including the lead author reported receiving grants, consulting fees, speaker fees, and/or honoraria from various sources.

Source: Combe B et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2021 May 7. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab398 .

Recommended Reading

Switch to subcutaneous methotrexate curbs RA disease activity and increases quality of life
MDedge Rheumatology
Lower SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responses seen in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases
MDedge Rheumatology
Nintedanib slows interstitial lung disease in RA patients
MDedge Rheumatology
Gene variant confirmed as strong predictor of lung disease in RA
MDedge Rheumatology
Secondhand smoke in childhood and adulthood linked to increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis
MDedge Rheumatology
Patients with RA on rituximab at risk for worse COVID-19 outcomes
MDedge Rheumatology
Novel study links air pollution to increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis flares
MDedge Rheumatology
RA: ARCTIC REWIND findings do not support csDMARD dose tapering among patients in remission
MDedge Rheumatology
RA: Three doses of intravenous tranexamic acid more effective than single dose post-TKA
MDedge Rheumatology
Tofacitinib more effective than tocilizumab in bDMARD-naïve patients with methotrexate-refractory RA
MDedge Rheumatology