The effect of a tight control regime with monthly follow-up on remission rates and reported pain in early rheumatoid arthritis

© 2022 The Authors. Musculoskeletal Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd..

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a tight control (TC) regime with monthly consultations to the physician for the first 6 months, could increase remission rate and improve reported pain of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS: In this single-centre, TC study, with monthly visits to the physician, a cohort of 100 patients with early RA was consecutively included. They were compared with a reference cohort of 100 patients from the same clinic that had been conventionally managed. The patients were followed for 2 years.

RESULTS: The patients in the TC cohort had lower 28- joints disease activity score (DAS28) at three, six, 12 and 24 months, compared with the conventionally managed cohort, p ≤ 0.001. At 12 months, 71% in the TC cohort versus 46% in the conventional cohort were in remission (DAS28 < 2.6) and at 24 months 68% versus 49% respectively, p < 0.05. The TC cohort reported less pain at three, six, 12 and 24 months, p < 0.001. Multiple logistical regression analyses adjusted for, respectively, age, disease duration, pharmacological treatment, DAS28 and visual analogue scale pain at inclusion, revealed that participation in the TC cohort had an independent positive association with remission at 12 and 24 months and with acceptable pain at 24 months.

CONCLUSION: The intensive follow-up schedule for patients with early RA improved remission and led to improvement in reported pain and physical function. The positive effect of a TC regime in early disease may be due to increased empowerment, developed by meeting health professionals frequently.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:21

Enthalten in:

Musculoskeletal care - 21(2023), 1 vom: 04. März, Seite 159-168

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Aronsson, Maria [VerfasserIn]
Teleman, Annika [VerfasserIn]
Bergman, Stefan [VerfasserIn]
Lindqvist, Elisabet [VerfasserIn]
Forslind, Kristina [VerfasserIn]
Andersson, Maria L E [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Antirheumatic Agents
Early RA
Journal Article
Pain
Remission
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Rheumatoid arthritis
Tight control

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 14.03.2023

Date Revised 20.03.2023

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1002/msc.1681

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM344812286