Update of French society for rheumatology recommendations for managing rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

The 2014 French Society for Rheumatology (Société Française de Rheumatologie, SFR) recommendations about the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been updated by a task force composed of 12 expert rheumatologists, 2 patient self-help group representatives, and an occupational therapist. The material used by the task force included recent EULAR recommendations, a systematic literature review, and expert opinion. Four general principles and 15 recommendations were developed. The general principles emphasize the need for shared decision-making between the rheumatologist and the patient and for a global management program including both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. The recommendations deal with the diagnostic strategy for RA, treatment targets, management organization, drug selection based on the treatment line and prognostic factors, management of remissions, and global patient management. Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy should be started as early as possible. Validated composite scores should be determined at regular intervals to assess disease activity - according to the tight disease control concept - to achieve the treatment target, i.e., a remission. Methotrexate is the recommended first-line DMARD. The treatment should be optimized when methotrexate is poorly tolerated or inadequately effective. While waiting for conventional synthetic DMARDs to take effect, glucocorticoid therapy can be used, for a brief period to keep the cumulative dose low. When a sustained remission without structural progression is achieved in a patient who is not taking glucocorticoid therapy, targeted therapy de-escalation according to tight disease control principles should be considered. Patients should be periodically screened for comorbidities and their risk factors, which should be evaluated and treated.

Keywords: DMARD; Diagnosis; Recommendations; Rheumatoid arthritis; Targeted treatment; Treatment.