The benefits of early treatment in rheumatoid arthritis: Confounding by indication, and the issue of timing

Arthritis and Rheumatism

Volumn 48, Issue 1, 2003, Pages 1-5

  Landewé, Robert B M ^a  

^a MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ANTIRHEUMATIC AGENT; CORTICOSTEROID; METHOTREXATE; SALAZOSULFAPYRIDINE;

CLINICAL PRACTICE; CLINICAL TRIAL; DISEASE ACTIVITY; DISEASE COURSE; DISEASE SEVERITY; EDITORIAL; EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE; HUMAN; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PROGNOSIS; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS; TREATMENT INDICATION; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

ANTIRHEUMATIC AGENTS; ARTHRITIS, RHEUMATOID; HUMANS; TIME FACTORS;

EID: 0037235935     PISSN: 00043591     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/art.10732     Document Type: Editorial

References (20)

1. Mottonen T, Hannonen P, Korpela M, Nissila M, Kautiainen H, Ilonen J, et al. Delay to institution of therapy and induction of remission using single-drug or combination-disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 2002;46:894-8.
2. Munro R, Hampson R, McEntegart A, Thomson EA, Madhok R, Capell H. Improved functional outcome in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis treated with intramuscular gold: results of a five year prospective study. Ann Rheum Dis 1998;57:88-93.
3. Tsakonas E, Fitzgerald AA, Fitzcharles MA, Cividino A, Thorne JC, M'Seffar A, et al. Consequences of delayed therapy with second-line agents in rheumatoid arthritis: a 3 year followup on the hydroxychloroquine in early rheumatoid arthritis (HERA) study. J Rheumatol 2000;27:623-9.
4. Egsmose C, Lund B, Borg G, Pettersson H, Berg E, Brodin U, et al. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis benefit from early 2nd line therapy: 5 year followup of a prospective double blind placebo controlled study. J Rheumatol 1995;22:2208-13.
5. Bukhari MAS, Wiles NJ, Lunt M, Harrison BJ, Scott DGI, Symmons DPM, et al. Influence of disease-modifying therapy on radiographic outcome at five years: results from a large observational inception study. Arthritis Rheum 2003;48:46-53.
6. Van der Heide A, Jacobs JW, Bijlsma JW, Heurkens AH, van Booma-Frankfort C, van der Veen MJ, et al. The effectiveness of early treatment with "second-line" antirheumatic drugs: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1996;124:699-707.
7. Landewé R, van der Heijde D. Follow up studies in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 2002;61:479-81.
8. Wiles NJ, Lunt M, Barrett EM, Bukhari M, Silman AJ, Symmons DP, et al. Reduced disability at five years with early treatment of inflammatory polyarthritis: results from a large observational cohort, using propensity models to adjust for disease severity. Arthritis Rheum 2001;44:1033-42.
9. Zeger SL, Liang KY. Longitudinal data analysis for discrete and continuous outcomes. Biometrics 1986;42:121-30.
10. Landewe RB, Boers M, Verhoeven AC, Westhovens R, van de Laar MA, Markusse HM, et al. COBRA combination therapy in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: long-term structural benefits of a brief intervention. Arthritis Rheum 2002;46:347-56.
11. Diggle P, Heagerty P, Liang K, Zeger S. Analysis of longitudinal data. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1994.
12. Boers M, Verhoeven AC, Markusse HM, van de Laar MA, Westhovens R, van Denderen JC, et al. Randomised comparison of combined step-down prednisolone, methotrexate and sulphasalazine with sulphasalazine alone in early rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet 1997;350:309-18.
13. Mottonen T, Hannonen P, Leirisalo-Repo M, Nissila M, Kautiainen H, Korpela M, et al. Comparison of combination therapy with single-drug therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis: a randomised trial. FIN-RACo trial group. Lancet 1999;353:1568-73.
14. Smolen JS, Kalden JR, Scott DL, Rozman B, Kvien TK, Larsen A, et al. Efficacy and safety of leflunomide compared with placebo and sulphasalazine in active rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blind, randomised, multicentre trial. European Leflunomide Study Group. Lancet 1999;353:259-66.
15. Scott DL, Strand V. The effects of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs on the Health Assessment Questionnaire score: lessons from the leflunomide clinical trials database. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2002;41:899-909.
16. Strand V, Cohen S, Schiff M, Weaver A, Fleischmann R, Cannon G, et al. Treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis with leflunomide compared with placebo and methotrexate. Leflunomide Rheumatoid Arthritis Investigators Group. Arch Intern Med 1999;159: 2542-50.
17. Bathon JM, Martin RW, Fleischmann RM, Tesser JR, Schiff MH, Keystone EC, et al. A comparison of etanercept and methotrexate in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. N Engl J Med 2000; 343:1586-93.
18. Lipsky PE, van der Heijde DM, St Clair EW, Furst DE, Breedveld FC, Kalden JR, et al. Infliximab and methotrexate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis with Concomitant Therapy Study Group. N Engl J Med 2000;343:1594-602.
19. Arnett FC, Edworthy SM, Bloch DA, McShane DJ, Fries JF, Cooper NS, et al. The American Rheumatism Association 1987 revised criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1988;31:315-24.
20. Lard LR, Boers M, Verhoeven A, Vos K, Visser H, Hazes JM, et al. Early and aggressive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis patients affects the association of HLA class II antigens with progression of joint damage. Arthritis Rheum 2002;46:899-905.