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No difference in safety of biologic agents for RA seen between oldest patient groups
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Researchers found no significant difference in the safety of biologic agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis among patients aged 65 years and 74 years compared with those aged older than 74 years.
“In our study, we revealed that whereas age [greater than] 65 years old was an independent risk factor for [adverse events] AE leading to discontinuation of biologic agents, no significant difference was found between the ages 65 [years to] 74 [years] and [greater than or equal to] 75 years,” Atsuko Murota, MD, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Rheumatology at Keio University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “[This suggests] that biologic agent use in older patients needs caution, but it is possible to administer biologic agents safely in very elderly patients.”
To clarify the safety of biologics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in elderly patients, Murota and colleagues assessed 309 patients who started a biologic agent for RA between 2012 and 2014. In total, 174 patients were younger than 65 years, 86 patients were between 65 years and 74 years of age, and 49 patients were older than 74 years.
The researchers found a higher incidence of adverse events leading to treatment withdrawal in patients older than 65 years compared with those younger than 65 years. However, there was no significant difference for this outcomes between patients aged between 65 years and 74 years and those aged older than 74 years.
The researchers also found pulmonary complications were associated with discontinuation (odds ratio = 2.76). In addition, smoking habit and Brinkman index were lower in the patient group aged older than 74 years, suggesting a lack of smoking history could enable safe use of biologic agents in older patients. – by Will Offit
Disclosure: Healio.com/Rheumatology could not confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.
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