For Release at 5:30 PM PT, Sunday Nov. 11, 2001For More Information, ContactTammy Cussimanio(404) 633-3777 until Nov. 7(415) 905-1005 Nov. 10 - Nov. 15[email protected]
RA Sufferers: Early treatment may mean better quality of life
Treating rheumatoid arthritis early on is the key to better outcomes and decreased disability, according to several sets of research presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting Nov. 10 - 15 in San Francisco, California.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating disease that affects 1 percent of the adult population. Although not fatal, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, damage, and loss of function in many joints as well as inflammation in other body organs. More than 75 percent of cases occur in women. It usually develops during childbearing years but can also begin in late adulthood.
Dr. Krishnan and colleagues at Stanford University showed that the likelihood of being disabled from rheumatoid arthritis decreased three fold from 1960 to 1998. Similarly, Dr. da Silva at the Mayo Clinic found that there was less need for orthopedic surgery for joint damage for patients diagnosed after 1985. Both groups of investigators concluded that joint damage from rheumatoid arthritis was decreasing because of recent developments in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
These finding are supported by the study by Dr. Frederick Wolfe and colleagues at the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases, who studied rates of hospitalization among people with rheumatoid arthritis -- one of the most expensive and serious complications of rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Wolfe found that that people who received treatment with one of three medications for RA (methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine and sulfasalazine) were less likely to be hospitalized than people with RA who did not receive these treatments. Data presented by Dr. Silman and colleagues at the University of Manchester, England showed that earlier use of medication was associated with less joint damage. In addition, Dr. Yelin and colleagues from the University of California at San Francisco, Wyeth-Ayerst and Immunex Corporation, reported that treatment with etanercept, one of the new biologic treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, was associated with less time missed from work.
All these studies confirm that the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has improved dramatically in recent years and continues to improve with the availability of new biologic therapies. This means that people with rheumatoid arthritis who receive treatment will have better quality of life, especially if treatment is given early.
The American College of Rheumatology is the professional organization for rheumatologists and health professionals who share a dedication to healing, preventing disability and curing arthritis and related rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. For more information on the ACR's annual meeting, see http://www.rheumatology.org.
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