Active treatment of patients thought to be developing rheumatoid arthritis successfully staves of disease development, a European conference has heard.
The findings of a metanalysis of studies were reported yesterday to the conference of the European League Against Rheumatism in Madrid, Spain.
The organisation says the findings support its campaign for early identification of patients at risk, known as "Don’t Delay, Connect Today."
Researchers analysed the findings of nine randomised control trials involving some 1,156 patients.
Researcher Dr Stephane Hilliquin, from the Pitié Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France, said: "Our review of the available clinical data supports the rationale for early treatment in these patients.
"In those studies where pre-rheumatoid arthritis patients received active treatment, there was a significant reduction in the risk of occurrence of RA at 52 weeks or more.
"Although there was no statistically significant difference in the absence of disease progression as seen on X-ray between those taking active treatments or placebo due to the disease being at such an early stage."
* The organisation has also launched a new school of rheumatology aimed at applying modern learning techniques to the specialism – and accessible through an app.
EULAR president Professor Gerd Burmester said: “The launch of The EULAR School of Rheumatology reflects the changing needs of the international rheumatology community through offering courses across this medical discipline both in a person-to-person environment as well as over on-line mediums, and of differing lengths of study times.
"This is the face of future learning, with the greatest levels of access to the highest levels of further education in the field.”
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