Guidelines for management of Rheumatoid arthritis
ATLANTA, GA (February 7, 2002) – Updated guidelines for the management of rheumatoid arthritis have been published in the February issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Due to major advancements in the management and treatment of this disease, the ACR has updated its guidelines after only five years.
More than 2 million people in the United States suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling and loss of function in the joints and inflammation in other body organs.
Although rheumatoid arthritis remains a serious disease, recent improvements in treatment have made a dramatic difference in the lives of many people. Many of these new treatments have emerged only in the last five years because of exciting and rapidly advancing research into the fundamental mechanisms of inflammation. As a result, scientists have developed precisely targeted therapies.
The article reviews evidence on new therapies such as genetically engineered biologic response modifiers (e.g., entanercept, infliximab, anakinra), which target specific chemicals that cause inflammation, and other new disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or DMARDs (e.g., leflunomide).
The guidelines include information on efficacy, time to benefit, potential side effects, monitoring of side effects, costs of the drug and how the medication is administered. All of these are important considerations for choosing a specific treatment strategy, but may not be typically included in treatment guidelines.
This update includes a treatment algorithm that incorporates the advances in treatment options. Primary care physicians, rheumatologists and other physicians who care for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis should find the algorithm useful in following proven treatment protocols. The guidelines emphasize early diagnosis and treatment since recent studies have shown that early treatment, defined as within three months of disease onset, is critical in attaining better disease outcomes. Damage to joints often occurs within the first two years of disease and early treatment may prevent this damage.
