The long-term impact of early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis on radiographic progression: a population-based cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the long-term rate of radiographic progression in a cohort of patients treated early vs late with conventional DMARDs.


METHODS
The long-term rate of radiographic progression in patients included in the Swiss clinical quality management in rheumatoid arthritis (SCQM-RA) registry who initiated treatment with conventional DMARDs within the first year of symptom onset (early DMARD) vs patients who initiated treatment 1-5 years after symptom onset (late DMARD). Radiographic progression was assessed in 38 joints using a validated score (Ratingen Score). The rate of progression was calculated using a multivariate regression model for longitudinal data, adjusting for potential confounders.


RESULTS
A total of 970 RA patients were included. The 368 patients in the early DMARD group started therapy after a median symptom duration of 6 months, whereas the 602 patients in the late DMARD group initiated therapy after median 2.5 years. RF, MTX use and other risk factors for erosive disease progression were similar between the two groups. However, the estimated rate of radiographic progression at baseline was higher in the early DMARD vs the late DMARD group (1.8 vs 0.6, P < 0.01). In spite of this, the long-term rate of radiographic progression was significantly lower in the early DMARD group after adjustment for confounding factors (-0.35 at 5 years, P = 0.012).


CONCLUSIONS
This result supports the concept of a therapeutic window of opportunity early in the disease course and suggests that early initiation of DMARD therapy results in a long-lasting reduction of radiographic damage.
Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital of Zurich, Gloriastrasse 25, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland. diego.kyburz@usz.ch
Diego
D
Kyburz
Cem
C
Gabay
Beat A
BA
Michel
Axel
A
Finckh
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013557:Switzerland; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents