Article Text
Abstract
Background There are few data about the safety of biologics for very elderly rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Objectives To analyze the retention rate of abatacept in very elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods Data was collected retrospectively from medical records of RA patients in our center. Abatacept was administered in 58 patients. We divided them into two groups of the very elderly group (over 75 years old) and the remaining group (under 75 years old). We analyzed the retention rate of each group by Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test.
Results In the very elderly group (29 cases: 81.6±3.3 years, women: 89.7%, ACPA-positive: 86.2%, MTX use: 48.3%, oral steroid use: 31.0%), the cumulative retention rates in 12 and 24 months were both 0.558.
In the remaining group (29 cases: 63.4±10.7 years, women 89.7%, ACPA-positive: 86.2%, MTX use: 58.6%, oral steroid use: 37.9%), the cumulative retention rates in 12 and 24 months were 0.705 and 0.617 respectively.
There was no significant difference in the retention rates in the two groups (log-rank test, p=0.913). Abatacept was administered as the first biologics in 58.6% of the very elderly group, 31.0% of the remaining group respectively.
The main reasons for discontinuation of abatacept were hospitalization for infection (elderly: 3 cases, remaining: 2 cases) and hospitalization for gastrointestinal symptoms (elderly: 2, remaining: 0).
Conclusions Our data suggested that abatacept can be used for a long period even for very elderly RA patients.
Lahaye C, et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2016 Jan 27. pii: kev437. [Epub ahead of print]
Disclosure of Interest None declared