title: The importance of rheumatology biologic registries in Latin America.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by joint articular pain and disability. Although there is scarcity of data available on the incidence and prevalence of RA in Latin America, there is a growing recognition of this disease where chronic diseases are on the rise and infectious disease on the decline. RA is a substantial burden to patients, society, and the healthcare system. The heterogeneity identified within RA presents an opportunity for personalized medicine, especially in regions with such demographic diversity as that of Latin America. To understand the long-term effects of treatment for RA especially on safety, registries have been established, a number of which have been created in Latin America. Despite their weaknesses (e.g., lack of controls and randomization), registries have provided additional and complementary information on the use of biologics in clinical practice in Latin America and other regions. Although certain challenges remain in the implementation and maintenance of registries, they continue to provide real-life data to clinical practice contributing to improved patient care.
authors.affiliation: Sociedad Argentina de Reumatología, Montes de Oca 587, 21°c, Buenos Aires, Argentina. mainadelavega@yahoo.com.ar
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de la Vega
authors.forename: Hellen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: da Silveira de Carvalho
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ventura Ríos
authors.forename: Maria V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Goycochea Robles
authors.forename: Gustavo C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Casado
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001688:Biological Products