RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Current evidence for a strategic approach to the management of rheumatoid arthritis with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: a systematic literature review informing the EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 987
OP 994
DO 10.1136/ard.2009.126748
VO 69
IS 6
A1 R Knevel
A1 M Schoels
A1 T W J Huizinga
A1 D Aletaha
A1 G R Burmester
A1 B Combe
A1 R B Landewé
A1 J S Smolen
A1 T Sokka
A1 D M F M van der Heijde
YR 2010
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/69/6/987.abstract
AB Objectives To perform a systematic literature review of effective strategies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods As part of a European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Task Force investigation, a literature search was carried out from January 1962 until February 2009 in PubMed/Ovid Embase/Cochrane and EULAR/American College of Rheumatism (ACR)) abstracts (2007/2008) for studies with a treatment strategy adjusted to target a predefined outcome. Articles were systematically reviewed and clinical outcome, physical function and structural damage were compared between intensive and less intensive strategies. The results were evaluated by an expert panel to consolidate evidence on treatment strategies in RA. Results The search identified two different kinds of treatment strategies: strategies in which the reason for treatment adjustment differed between the study arms (‘steering strategies’, n=13) and strategies in which all trial arms used the same clinical outcome to adjust treatment with different pharmacological treatments (‘medication strategies’, n=7). Both intensive steering strategies and intensive medication strategies resulted in better outcome than less intensive strategies in patients with early active RA. Conclusion Intensive steering strategies and intensive medication strategies produce a better clinical outcome, improved physical function and less structural damage than conventional steering or treatment. Proof in favour of any steering method is lacking and the best medication sequence is still not known.