RESEARCH - Sustained RA remission can be achieved without biologic drugs

[Guest guest]

Sustained RA Remission Can Be Achieved Without Biologic Drugs

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 19 - Up to 15% of patients with

rheumatoid arthritis who were treated with conventional therapy in

Dutch and British cohort studies had symptom remission for at least a

year, according to a report in the August issue of Arthritis and

Rheumatism.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and non-biologic

disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were considered to be

conventional therapy.

The authors of the report, led by Dr. Diane van der Woude of Leiden

University Medical Center, the Netherlands, point out that the

introduction of biologic antirheumatic drugs has led to an increase in

the number of research trials reporting remission as an outcome. This

led them to investigate achievement of remission with conventional

treatment.

" Rheumatoid arthritis is always thought of as a chronic disease which

will not go away unless treated very aggressively, " Dr. van der Woude

told Reuters Health by e-mail. " Our findings now show that, even in

the 'pre-biologics era,' 9-15% of the patients actually got rid of

their disease, a quite substantial number that we had not expected. "

The research team analyzed data from two independent cohort studies,

one from the Netherlands and one from the UK, conducted in patients

whose RA symptoms had begun less than two years before enrollment.

The Dutch cohort ran from 1993 to 2002 and comprised 454 patients.

Initial treatment evolved over that time but included analgesics

followed as needed by hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine, initial

chloroquine or sulfasalazine, and, later, methotrexate or

sulfasalazine.

The British cohort consisted of 895 patients recruited through nine

rheumatology departments in the UK between 1986 and 1996. Treatment

was at the discretion of the patient's rheumatologist but was

typically a short course of analgesics followed, if needed, by

monotherapy or combination therapy with methotrexate, sulfasalazine

and hydroxychloroquine.

Sustained disease-free remission was defined as no current use of

DMARDs, no swollen joints for at least a year, and classification as

DMARD-free remission by the patient's rheumatologist.

Sustained remission by this standard was achieved by 68 (15.0%) of the

Dutch patients and 84 (9.4%) of the UK. patients.

Factors that predicted sustained remission in both cohorts included

acute onset, shorter duration of symptoms before study entry, not

smoking, little radiographic damage at baseline, absence of IgM

rheumatoid factor, and absence of HLA shared epitope alleles.

Independent predictors on multivariate analysis were symptom duration

and the absence of autoantibodies.

Arthritis Rheum 2009;60:2262-2271.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/707693

Not an MD

[Guest guest]

.... and let's hide this one from the insurance companies!

Kate F

________________________________

From: <Rheumatoid.Arthritis.Support@...>

< >

Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 3:59:31 PM

Subject: [ ] RESEARCH - Sustained RA remission can be achieved without

biologic drugs

Sustained RA Remission Can Be Achieved Without Biologic Drugs

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 19 - Up to 15% of patients with

rheumatoid arthritis who were treated with conventional therapy in

Dutch and British cohort studies had symptom remission for at least a

year, according to a report in the August issue of Arthritis and

Rheumatism.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and non-biologic

disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were considered to be

conventional therapy.

The authors of the report, led by Dr. Diane van der Woude of Leiden

University Medical Center, the Netherlands, point out that the

introduction of biologic antirheumatic drugs has led to an increase in

the number of research trials reporting remission as an outcome. This

led them to investigate achievement of remission with conventional

treatment.

" Rheumatoid arthritis is always thought of as a chronic disease which

will not go away unless treated very aggressively, " Dr. van der Woude

told Reuters Health by e-mail. " Our findings now show that, even in

the 'pre-biologics era,' 9-15% of the patients actually got rid of

their disease, a quite substantial number that we had not expected. "

The research team analyzed data from two independent cohort studies,

one from the Netherlands and one from the UK, conducted in patients

whose RA symptoms had begun less than two years before enrollment.

The Dutch cohort ran from 1993 to 2002 and comprised 454 patients.

Initial treatment evolved over that time but included analgesics

followed as needed by hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine, initial

chloroquine or sulfasalazine, and, later, methotrexate or

sulfasalazine.

The British cohort consisted of 895 patients recruited through nine

rheumatology departments in the UK between 1986 and 1996. Treatment

was at the discretion of the patient's rheumatologist but was

typically a short course of analgesics followed, if needed, by

monotherapy or combination therapy with methotrexate, sulfasalazine

and hydroxychloroquine.

Sustained disease-free remission was defined as no current use of

DMARDs, no swollen joints for at least a year, and classification as

DMARD-free remission by the patient's rheumatologist.

Sustained remission by this standard was achieved by 68 (15.0%) of the

Dutch patients and 84 (9.4%) of the UK. patients.

Factors that predicted sustained remission in both cohorts included

acute onset, shorter duration of symptoms before study entry, not

smoking, little radiographic damage at baseline, absence of IgM

rheumatoid factor, and absence of HLA shared epitope alleles.

Independent predictors on multivariate analysis were symptom duration

and the absence of autoantibodies.

Arthritis Rheum 2009;60:2262- 2271.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/707693

Not an MD

[Guest guest]

Well, I can just about guarantee that none of the " test objects " had allergies

and/or major side effects from the so called " conventional " methods of

therapy. Not everyone in this world has ZERO issues!  Let's get real !!!!!!!! It

gets me that these so called " studies " are only done on people that have zero

issues with meds. That's ridiculous in my opionion!  I truly hope that is

something that the medical community all around takes into consideration!  I am

NOT  bashing for goodness sakes! She's just the messenger!!!!!  We all LOVE

!! 

ltdavis_jrdavis@...

From: Fair <kalfoley@...>

Subject: Re: [ ] RESEARCH - Sustained RA remission can be achieved

without biologic drugs

Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 9:28 PM

 

..... and let's hide this one from the insurance companies!

Kate F

____________ _________ _________ __

From: <Rheumatoid.Arthriti s.Support@ gmail.com>

< @gro ups.com>

Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 3:59:31 PM

Subject: [ ] RESEARCH - Sustained RA remission can be achieved without

biologic drugs

Sustained RA Remission Can Be Achieved Without Biologic Drugs

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 19 - Up to 15% of patients with

rheumatoid arthritis who were treated with conventional therapy in

Dutch and British cohort studies had symptom remission for at least a

year, according to a report in the August issue of Arthritis and

Rheumatism.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and non-biologic

disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were considered to be

conventional therapy.

The authors of the report, led by Dr. Diane van der Woude of Leiden

University Medical Center, the Netherlands, point out that the

introduction of biologic antirheumatic drugs has led to an increase in

the number of research trials reporting remission as an outcome. This

led them to investigate achievement of remission with conventional

treatment.

" Rheumatoid arthritis is always thought of as a chronic disease which

will not go away unless treated very aggressively, " Dr. van der Woude

told Reuters Health by e-mail. " Our findings now show that, even in

the 'pre-biologics era,' 9-15% of the patients actually got rid of

their disease, a quite substantial number that we had not expected. "

The research team analyzed data from two independent cohort studies,

one from the Netherlands and one from the UK, conducted in patients

whose RA symptoms had begun less than two years before enrollment.

The Dutch cohort ran from 1993 to 2002 and comprised 454 patients.

Initial treatment evolved over that time but included analgesics

followed as needed by hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine, initial

chloroquine or sulfasalazine, and, later, methotrexate or

sulfasalazine.

The British cohort consisted of 895 patients recruited through nine

rheumatology departments in the UK between 1986 and 1996. Treatment

was at the discretion of the patient's rheumatologist but was

typically a short course of analgesics followed, if needed, by

monotherapy or combination therapy with methotrexate, sulfasalazine

and hydroxychloroquine.

Sustained disease-free remission was defined as no current use of

DMARDs, no swollen joints for at least a year, and classification as

DMARD-free remission by the patient's rheumatologist.

Sustained remission by this standard was achieved by 68 (15.0%) of the

Dutch patients and 84 (9.4%) of the UK. patients.

Factors that predicted sustained remission in both cohorts included

acute onset, shorter duration of symptoms before study entry, not

smoking, little radiographic damage at baseline, absence of IgM

rheumatoid factor, and absence of HLA shared epitope alleles.

Independent predictors on multivariate analysis were symptom duration

and the absence of autoantibodies.

Arthritis Rheum 2009;60:2262- 2271.

http://www.medscape .com/viewarticle /707693

Not an MD