Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2012 Jul;87(7):659-73.
doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2012.03.011.

My treatment approach to rheumatoid arthritis

John M Davis 3rd  1 , Eric L Matteson; American College of Rheumatology; European League Against Rheumatism
Affiliations
Review

My treatment approach to rheumatoid arthritis

John M Davis 3rd et al. Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 Jul.

Abstract

The past decade has brought important advances in the understanding of rheumatoid arthritis and its management and treatment. New classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis, better definitions of treatment outcome and remission, and the introduction of biologic response-modifying drugs designed to inhibit the inflammatory process have greatly altered the approach to managing this disease. More aggressive management of rheumatoid arthritis early after diagnosis and throughout the course of the disease has resulted in improvement in patient functioning and quality of life, reduction in comorbid conditions, and enhanced survival.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Our treatment approach to newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from baseline to 6 months of follow-up. ACR/EULAR 2010 = American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism 2010 Classification Criteria for RA; CDAI = Clinical Disease Activity Index; CTLA4:Ig = cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen 4:immunoglobulin fusion protein; HCQ = hydroxychloroquine; LEF = leflunomide; MTX = methotrexate; Rx = prescription; SC = subcutaneous; SDAI = Simplified Disease Activity Index; SSZ = sulfasalazine; TNF = tumor necrosis factor.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Our treatment approach to early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from 6 months to 1 year. anti–IL-6R = anti-interleukin 6 receptor; CDAI = Clinical Disease Activity Index; CTLA4:Ig = cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen 4:immunoglobulin fusion protein; DMARD = disease-modifying antirheumatic drug; HCQ = hydroxychloroquine; mAb = monoclonal antibody; MTX = methotrexate; Rx = prescription; SC = subcutaneous; SDAI = Simplified Disease Activity Index; SSZ = sulfasalazine; TNF = tumor necrosis factor.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Our approach to treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) beyond the first year of disease. DMARD therapy refers to use of methotrexate (MTX) and other conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Biologic therapy refers to treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, abatacept, rituximab, tocilizumab, or anakinra. anti–IL-6R = anti-interleukin 6 receptor; CDAI = Clinical Disease Activity Index; CTLA4:Ig = cytotoxic T lymphocyte–associated antigen 4:immunoglobulin fusion protein; HCQ = hydroxychloroquine; IL-1ra = interleukin 1 receptor antagonist; LEF = leflunomide; mAb = monoclonal antibody; Rx = prescription; SDAI = Simplified Disease Activity Index; SSZ = sulfasalazine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Helmick C.G., Felson D.T., Lawrence R.C., National Arthritis Data Workgroup Estimates of the prevalence of arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States: Part I. Arthritis Rheum. 2008;58(1):15–25. - PubMed
    1. Crowson C.S., Matteson E.L., Myasoedova E. The lifetime risk of adult-onset rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Arthritis Rheum. 2011;63(3):633–639. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Allaire S., Wolfe F., Niu J., Lavalley M.P. Contemporary prevalence and incidence of work disability associated with rheumatoid arthritis in the US. Arthritis Rheum. 2008;59(4):474–480. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sokka T., Kautiainen H., Pincus T., QUEST-RA Work disability remains a major problem in rheumatoid arthritis in the 2000s: data from 32 countries in the QUEST-RA study. Arthritis Res Ther. 2010;12(2):R42. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Turesson C., O'Fallon W.M., Crowson C.S., Gabriel S.E., Matteson E.L. Occurrence of extraarticular disease manifestations is associated with excess mortality in a community based cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2002;29(1):62–67. - PubMed

MeSH terms