People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) \u2013 particularly women \u2013 have less pain, less fatigue, and better physical\u00a0function today than they did in the mid-1990s, a large study from Norway suggests.<\/p>\n
INTRODUCTION<\/strong><\/p>\n Over the last 20 years, treatment options for RA have expanded with the introduction of TNF inhibitors and\u00a0other new types of DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs). Examples include adalimumab, etanercept,\u00a0infliximab, abatacept and rituximab. Strategies for managing RA have also improved, with studies finding\u00a0that earlier and more intensive treatment can improve people\u2019s symptoms and slow down the damage to their WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS HOPE TO FIND?<\/strong><\/p>\n Researchers in Norway wanted to take a close look at how people with RA were faring today compared with in\u00a0the mid-1990s. They were particularly interested in improvements among women, as women generally get RA\u00a0earlier and have worse symptoms compared with men.<\/p>\n WHO WAS STUDIED?<\/strong><\/p>\n The study included men and women with RA who were aged 20 to 79 and lived in Oslo. By including a wide\u00a0range of people, the researchers aimed to fully represent people with RA who lived in this area of Norway.<\/p>\n HOW WAS THE STUDY CONDUCTED?<\/strong><\/p>\n The researchers sent questionnaires to people with RA in 1994, 1996, 2001, 2004, and 2009. These included\u00a0questions about the people\u2019s level of pain and fatigue, and how much their RA affected their daily activities\u00a0(such as dressing, walking, and gripping things with their hands). The questionnaires also asked about their age The researchers compared how people responded to the questionnaires throughout the study, to see whether\u00a0people with RA were doing better at the end of the study than at the start. They also looked separately at men\u00a0and women.<\/p>\n WHAT DOES THE NEW STUDY SAY?<\/strong><\/p>\n Between 800 and 1,000 people responded to the questionnaires each year they were sent out. The researchers\u00a0found considerable improvements in how people rated their RA throughout the study. In particular, people had\u00a0less pain and fatigue in 2009 than in 1994. They also could do more daily activities, and rated their RA as However, women continued to have worse symptoms overall. HOW RELIABLE ARE THE FINDINGS?<\/strong><\/p>\n These findings should be fairly reliable, as the study has several important strengths. For example, it was quite\u00a0large, and it used thorough questionnaires. The researchers also accounted for things that can affect a person\u2019s\u00a0RA symptoms and health, such as their age, their sex, whether they smoked, how long they\u2019d had RA, and However, we can\u2019t be certain that some of the findings \u2013 such as improvements in people\u2019s overall health \u2013\u00a0was because of improvements in their RA. Other changes in people\u2019s lives and health also could have played a\u00a0role.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth noting that the researchers looked only at people with RA in Oslo. So we can\u2019t be certain that\u00a0the findings would be the same for other groups of people in other countries.<\/p>\n WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have RA this study provides positive news, finding that people with the disease are faring better today\u00a0than in the mid-1990s. This suggests that improved medicines and treatment strategies have made a real difference\u00a0for many people.<\/p>\n These findings are also important for payers of health care, as they suggest that investing in newer treatments\u00a0for RA does indeed improve people\u2019s health and wellbeing.\u00a0But, of course, what\u2019s most important is how you feel as an individual. If your symptoms are getting worse\u00a0or interfering with your activities, talk to your doctor. There may be other treatments that can help.<\/p>\n Disclaimer<\/strong>: This is a summary of a scientific article written by a medical professional (\u201cthe Original Article\u201d). The Summary is written to assist non medically trained readers to understand general points of the Original Article. \u00a0It should not be relied on in any way whatsoever<\/span>, (which also means the Summary is not medical advice), and is simply supplied to aid a lay understanding of general points of the Original Article. It is supplied \u201cas is\u201d without any warranty. You should note that the Original Article (and Summary) may not be accurate as errors can occur and also may be out of date as medical science is constantly changing. \u00a0It is very important that readers not rely on the content in the Summary and consult their medical professionals for all aspects of their health care. Do not use this Summary as medical advice even if the Summary is supplied to the reader by a medical professional.<\/strong> Date summary prepared:\u00a0January 2015<\/p>\n Summary based on research article published on:\u00a015 October 2013<\/p>\n From:\u00a0Austad, C, et al<\/em>.\u00a0Health status has improved more in women than in men with rheumatoid arthritis from 1994 to 2009: results from the Oslo rheumatoid arthritis register.\u00a0Ann Rheum Dis<\/em> 2015;74:148-155 doi:10.1136\/annrheumdis-2013-204014<\/a><\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd & European League Against Rheumatism. Medical professionals may print copies for their and their patients and students non commercial use. Other individuals may print a single copy for their personal, non commercial use. For other uses please contact our Rights and Licensing<\/a> Team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) \u2013 particularly women \u2013 have less pain, less fatigue, and better physical\u00a0function today than they did in the mid-1990s, a large study from Norway suggests. INTRODUCTION Over the last 20 years, treatment options for RA have expanded with the introduction of TNF inhibitors and\u00a0other new types of DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic […]<\/p>\n
\njoints.<\/p>\n
\nAlthough these improvements would suggest that people today are able to cope better with their RA than in\u00a0previous decades, not many long-term studies have explored this.<\/p>\n
\nand lifestyle, how their health was overall, and what medicines they were taking for RA.<\/p>\n
\nbeing less active. They also rated their overall health more highly.
\nWomen had greater improvements than men, which narrowed the differences between the sexes quite a bit.<\/p>\n
\nThe researchers also found that many more people started using DMARDs over the course of the study. This\u00a0reflects the more intensive approach to treatment that has been adopted in recent years.<\/p>\n
\nwhether they had other illnesses. This allowed them to more reliably compare people\u2019s responses throughout\u00a0the study.<\/p>\n
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