title: DC-ART: the concept.
abstract: The International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have ratified a new classification of antirheumatic therapy comprising two major categories, as follows: (1) Symptom modifying antirheumatic drugs (SMARD) improve the symptoms and clinical features of inflammatory synovitis; (2) Disease controlling antirheumatic therapy (DC-ART) changes the course of rheumatoid arthritis. The DC-ART category, a new group and a new concept, poses a number of problems and challenges but also generates a basis for setting management objectives for rheumatoid arthritis. It is uncertain whether any of the current SMARD would fulfill the stringent DC-ART criteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, St. George Hospital, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Edmonds
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000145:classification* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents