RESEARCH - RA may be milder in the new millennium

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Rheumatoid Arthritis May Be Milder in New Millennium

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 15 - The results of a study published in

the December issue of the ls of the Rheumatic Diseases suggest

that the health status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis improved

between 1994 and 2004. Investigators suggest this is most likely the

result of better and more aggressive treatments.

" Over the last decade, major changes have occurred in the provision of

health care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, " Dr. Till Uhlig,

of Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, and colleagues write. " Growing

attention has been paid to improved management strategies with early

and more aggressive treatment, which reflects important advances in

the treatment along with access to more effective and specific drugs

for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. "

The researchers examined possible changes in health status and levels

of self-reported health from 1994 to 2004 among patients in the Oslo

Rheumatoid Arthritis Register.

Postal questionnaires were sent to all patients in 1994, 1996, 2001

and 2004. Included were the Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire,

the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2, visual analog scales and

others to assess pain, fatigue and disease activity.

An average of 924 patients between the ages of 20 and 79 years

responded each year. At baseline, the mean patient age was 60.6 years,

and the mean disease duration was 12.6 years.

The authors used a mixed model approach for longitudinal analysis

adjusting for age, gender, comorbidity, disease duration and type of

treatment.

Overall, the health status in the rheumatoid arthritis patients

consistently improved in all dimensions of health evaluated over the

10-year period.

Improvements were significant for the physical dimension, global

health, and pain. Both the year of disease onset and year of

examination had an effect on key measures of longitudinal health

status outcome, the researchers add.

" This study demonstrates consistent improvement in rheumatoid

arthritis health status in the population from 1994 to 2004, and also

better health status outcomes in patients with more recent disease

onset, " Dr. Uhlig and colleagues conclude.

The improvements in rheumatoid arthritis patients over time may be

attributed to better treatment. " Our findings thus support the

importance of improved management strategies in population settings

where the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has not yet been given a

sufficiently high priority. "

Ann Rheum Dis 2008;67:1710-1715.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/585358

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