title: Clinical profile of 266 Filipino patients with rheumatoid arthritis included in the rheumatoid arthritis database and registry (RADAR) of the Philippine General Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe Filipino patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) entered in the Rheumatoid arthritis database and registry (RADAR) of the Philippine General Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases entered to RADAR from 2010-2012 were included. All fulfilled the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria for classification of RA. Included cases gave written infomed consent. Data extracted were demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory tests, treatment and disease course. Means and proportions were used for population characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and sixty-six cases were included. Mean age was 44 years, with 9 : 1 female preponderance and mean diagnosis time of 5 years. There was symmetrical polyarthritis with high tender and swollen joint count and mean Disease Activity Score of 28 joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 5.27 (3.39, 8.13). Rheumatoid factor was positive in 2/3 of cases. Hypertension, tuberculosis and diabetes were important co-morbidities. Treatment included prednisone, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and methotrexate. At 12 months of treatment, evaluable cases (< 20%) showed improvement from high to moderate disease activity. Methotrexate average dose was 8.6 mg/week. Nine cases received biologic agents. Factors affecting treatment included access to rheumatology centers, low socioeconomic status, presence of co-morbid diseases and treatment adverse events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reports a cohort of Filipino RA patients seen in a government arthritis unit whose disease characteristics are similar to what is reported worldwide. This cohort differs from most studies in having a high female to male ratio, a long delay in diagnosis, and high attrition rate. Mean methotrexate dose was low and there was less access to biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Ester G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Penserga
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the East College of Medicine, Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Therese Aileen L
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Natividad
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Evelyn S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Salido
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019992:Databases as Topic; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010679:Philippines / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents
keywords: low socioeconomic factors; methotrexate intolerance; rheumatoid arthritis; rheumatoid arthritis database and registry; tuberculosis