Patients with RA, fibromyalgia less likely to achieve remission, low disease activity

Patients with both rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia were less likely to achieve remission or low disease activity scores, according to findings presented recently.

The study comprised 697 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis from the ESPOIR cohort, a 10-year follow-up study of patients with early arthritis in France. Patients were recently diagnosed with early arthritis and had not received disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Of the 697, 120 were diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM) at baseline.

Endpoints were compared at 6, 8 and 12 months using a mixed linear regression model of Disease Activity Score (DAS28), Simple Disease Activity Index (SDAI), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Low disease activity and remission were analyzed with a log binomial regression at each time point.

At baseline, patients with FM had higher DAS28, SDAI, CDAI and HAQ scores than patients with RA alone, according to the researchers.

DAS28 and other disease activity scores improved to a similar extent among both patient groups, but consistently remained higher in patients with FM. The researchers found lower disease activity and remission were less likely to be achieved in patients with FM, and few would have met treat-to-target goals, they concluded. – by Shirley Pulawski

Reference:

Santa Cruz, et al. Paper #1384. Presented at: American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting. Nov. 14-19, 2014; Boston.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.