INTRODUCTION Combinations of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are increasingly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Early trials showed their toxicity while recent trials suggest superior efficacy. Trials of DMARD combinations have enrolled different types of patient (early or established RA), used different designs (step-up, parallel or step-down) and utilized a range of out...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the renal safety of traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS One hundred and ninety-five DMARD-naïve patients with recent-onset RA were randomised to receive combination DMARD therapy (n=97) starting with sulfasalazine, methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and prednisolone (COMBI) or monotherapy (n=98), initially...

BACKGROUND Although long-term data are available from biologic studies in North American/European populations with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), long-term findings in Latin American RA populations are limited. OBJECTIVE To examine long-term safety/efficacy of etanercept, methotrexate, and/or other disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in Latin American patients with moderate-to-severe ...

Biologics, possibly in combination with a conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) - preferably methotrexate (MTX), are used in accordance with the recommendations of the international rheumatological societies. However, in clinical practice, this recommendation is often problematic, as many rheumatologists know from personal experience. The quality of life of the patient is af...

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the level of nonpersistence (NP) and nonadherence (NA) to methotrexate (MTX) therapy in German patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS Based on German claims data, RA patients who received a MTX therapy (subgroup: treatment-naive patients) were analyzed. NP was defined as treatment gap >12 weeks. Regarding NA, it is the overall medic...

A number of reports indicating the growing acceptance of simultaneous therapy with multiple disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), as well as the use of more aggressive treatment measures in the early phases of disease to combat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), have appeared during the last decade. However, only a few randomized controlled clinical trials have been conducted on the use of D...

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease of uncertain cause associated with symmetric polyarthritis and, in some patients, with extra-articular manifestations. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis experience a chronic, fluctuating course that may result in joint damage, disability, deformities, and even a shortened life span. The goals of treatment are to control pain and inflammation...