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Transformative improvement with staggered gains in rheumatoid arthritis remission and sustained remission, but higher relapse rates: a population-based cohort study from 1990 to 2019
By El Hasbani G, Jose George R, J Achenbach S and 3 others.
Abstract
Objectives
To report population-level data describing long-term trends in remission, sustained remission and relapse among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods
We conducted a population-based inception cohort study of adults with incident RA in Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA, meeting 1987 or 2010 ACR criteria between 1990 and 2019. Patients were followed through 31 December 2023. We estimated cumulative incidence of first remission, sustained remission (≥6 months) and relapse after remission, accounting for competing risk of death. Cox models comparing calendar periods were adjusted for age, sex, baseline body mass index and serostatus.