Response to sulfasalazine in rheumatoid arthritis: life table analysis of a 5-year followup.
Eighty-six patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with sulfasalazine were followed for 5 years, or until treatment was discontinued. At the end of 5 years, there was a 22% probability of successfully continuing treatment. Most adverse effects developed in the first 3 months of treatment. In 38 patients treatment was discontinued because of inefficacy. In 18 of these, a brief period of improvement was followed by clinical relapse. Twenty were regarded as having no useful response to sulfasalazine. The treatment continuation rate of 22% at 5 years is in marked contrast to the pessimistic longterm evaluations of second line drugs that have recently been reported.
Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, NS, Canada.
E
E
Jones
J V
JV
Jones
J F
JF
Woodbury
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D012460:Sulfasalazine