MONITORING DISEASE ACTIVITY, ADJUSTMENT OF CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT AND PROGNOSIS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Authors:

Simeon Grazio

Summary

In the past decade treatment strategies for patients with rheumatoid arthritis have changed dramatically. Patients are being treated earlier and more aggressively than in the past, and far more therapeutic options are available, which has increased the complexity of the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The processes have had an influence on the outcome of patients with RA and on the way they are being evaluated. Disease course should regularly be evaluated with both process (i.e. erythrocyte sedimentation rate, joint counts) and outcome measures (i.e. radiological progression). For the evaluation of interventions, ‘core sets’ of valid measures to assess disease activity and outcome and specific criteria for improvement should be used. “Tight control” of patients with rheumatoid arthritis will enable us to adjust the therapy and to achieve the ultimate goals, remission and less disability.

Sažetak
Strategije liječenja bolesnika s reumatoidnim artritisom su se u prošlim desetljećima dramatično promijenile. Liječenje započinje ranije i agresivnije je nego je bilo u prošlosti, postoji više terapijskih mogućnosti, što je sve povećalo složenost liječenja. Ovi su procesi imali utjecaj na ishod i na način vrednovanja bolesnika s reumatoidnim artritisom. Redovito se mora ocjenjivati tijek bolesti i to kako proces (npr. sedimentacija eritrocita, broj zahvaćenih zglobova) tako i mjere ishoda (npr. radiološka progresija). Za ocjenu intervencija, a u cilju vjerodostojnog mjerenja aktivnosti bolesti i ishoda, kao i specifičnih kriterija poboljšanja trebale bi se koristiti “sržne varijable”. “Čvrsta kontrola” bolesnika s rematoidnim artritisom omogućuje prilagodbu terapije i postizanje krajnjeg cilja, remisije i što manjeg stupnja onesposobljenosti.

Vol.: 55

Preuzmi PDF