Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease (Sep 2020)

Treatment patterns and achievement of the treat-to-target goals in a real-life rheumatoid arthritis patient cohort: data from 1317 patients

  • Konstantinos Thomas,
  • Argiro Lazarini,
  • Evripidis Kaltsonoudis,
  • Alexandros Drosos,
  • Ioannis Papalopoulos,
  • Prodromos Sidiropoulos,
  • Panagiota Tsatsani,
  • Sousana Gazi,
  • Lina Pantazi,
  • Kyriaki A. Boki,
  • Pelagia Katsimbri,
  • Dimitrios Boumpas,
  • Kalliopi Fragkiadaki,
  • Maria Tektonidou,
  • Petros P. Sfikakis,
  • Konstantina Karagianni,
  • Lazaros I. Sakkas,
  • Eleftheria P. Grika,
  • Panagiotis G. Vlachoyiannopoulos,
  • Gerasimos Evangelatos,
  • Alexios Iliopoulos,
  • Theodoros Dimitroulas,
  • Alexandros Garyfallos,
  • Konstantinos Melissaropoulos,
  • Panagiotis Georgiou,
  • Maria Areti,
  • Constantinos Georganas,
  • Periklis Vounotrypidis,
  • George D. Kitas,
  • Dimitrios Vassilopoulos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/1759720X20937132
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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Background: Data regarding the real-life predictors of low disease activity (LDA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are limited. Our aim was to evaluate the rate and predictors of LDA and treatment patterns in RA. Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, RA cohort study where patients were evaluated in two different time points approximately 12 months apart. Statistical analysis was performed in order to identify predictors of LDA while patterns of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug [DMARDs; conventional synthetic (csDMARD) or biologic (bDMARD)] and glucocorticoid (GC) use were also recorded. Results: The total number of patients included was 1317 (79% females, mean age: 62.9 years, mean disease duration: 10.3 years). After 1 year, 57% had achieved LDA (DAS28ESR3.2), 21% initiated (among csDMARDs users) and 22% switched (among bDMARDs users) their bDMARDs. Conclusion: In a real-life RA cohort, during 1 year of follow-up, 43% of patients do not reach treatment targets while only ~20% of those with active RA started or switched their bDMARDs. Male sex, younger age, lower HAQ, body mass index and co-morbidity index were independent factors associated with LDA while use of GCs or ⩾2 bDMARDs were negative predictors.