Increasing treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis is not determined by the disease activity score but by physician global assessment: results from the CATCH study.
To determine the factors most strongly associated with an increase in therapy of early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA).
Data from the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) were included if the patient had = 2 visits and baseline and 6 months data. A regression analysis was done to determine factors associated with treatment intensification.
Of 1145 patients with ERA, 790 met inclusion criteria; mean age was 53.4 years (SD 14.7), mean disease duration 6.1 months (SD 2.8), 75% were female, baseline Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28) was 4.7 (SD 1.8) and 2.9 (SD 1.8) at 6 months for included patients. Univariate factors for intensifying treatment were physician global assessment (MDGA; OR 7.8 and OR 7.4 at 3 and 6 months, respectively, p