Sustained DMARD-free remission in subgroups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an analysis of two prospective cohorts with early arthritis
Lancet Rheumatol 2024 doi: 10.1016/S2665-9913(24)00234-0
Heutz et al. found that patients requiring bDMARDs rarely achieved DMARD-free remission, while 15–37% of those on non-bDMARDs reached this milestone, underscoring significant differences based on treatment type. This suggests the EULAR recommendation against DMARD cessation may be too generalised.
This study investigated sustained DMARD-free remission, defined as clinical synovitis absence for ≥1 year post-DMARD discontinuation, among subgroups of patients with RA using two prospective early arthritis cohorts (EAC and tREACH). bDMARD users (severe disease) showed negligible remission rates, in contrast to non-users, indicating a need for personalised treatment strategies.
