Session Information
Session Type: ACR Concurrent Abstract Session
Session Time: 4:30PM-6:00PM
Background/Purpose: A Treat-to-Target approach (T2T), treating patients with RA towards a target, either remission or low disease activity (T2T-REM or T2T-LDA), is nowadays recommended. However it has never been assessed whether such a strategy in daily clinical practice really leads to more patients meeting that target.
Methods: Two-year data from BIODAM were used. BIODAM is a prospective cohort including RA patients in daily practice from 10 countries, who were started or changed on DMARD and/or anti-TNF treatment and were followed-up every 3 months. Participating physicians were required to practice treat-to-target per protocol. Per visit was decided whether a patient was treated according to T2T-REM or not. The T2T-REM principle was considered met: i) if a patient had already a disease activity score below the target (DAS28-CRP≤2.6) at a certain time point; or ii) if treatment was intensified (by increasing dosage or adding drugs) upon a DAS28>2.6. T2T-LDA was computed using the benchmark for low disease activity (DAS28≤3.2). The main outcome was the presence or absence of ACR/EULAR-boolean remission 3 months after T2T-REM or T2T-LDA. The relationship between T2T and ACR/EULAR Boolean remission 3 months later was investigated using generalized estimating equations with auto-regression.
Results: In total 3084 visits of 539 patients were included (mean (SD) age: 56 (13) years, 76% female, disease duration 6 (8) years, 49% DMARD-naive). In 68% of the visits, T2T-REM was applied (in 79% of the visits T2T-LDA was applied). ACR/EULAR-boolean remission was reached in 15% of the visits, DAS28 remission in 39%, DAS28-LDA in 53%, CDAI remission in 16% and SDAI in 18%. Appropriate application of T2T-REM led to a 52% higher likelihood of ACR/EULAR-boolean remission 3 months later than not applying T2T-REM (OR (95%CI): 1.52 (1.20; 1.93)). Both T2T-REM and T2T-LDA strategies led to lower disease activity (with an exception of DAS28 remission or DAS28-LDA)(see table). Only 9% of the treatment intensifications followed upon a DAS28 between 2.6 and 3.2, and 79% of the intensifications were applied upon a DAS28>3.2. The effect of T2T-REM on ACR/EULAR-boolean remission was stronger in DMARD-naive patients (OR: 2.10 (1.45; 3.03) than in DMARD-experienced patients (OR 1.20 (0.86; 1.66))(P-value for the interaction:<0.05).
Table – Effect of treat-to-target approach on disease activity outcomes 3 months later
|
|
ACR/EULAR boolean remission (OR (95% CI)) |
DAS28 remission (OR (95% CI)) |
DAS28-LDA (OR (95% CI)) |
CDAI remission (OR (95% CI)) |
SDAI remission (OR (95% CI)) |
T2T-REM |
Unadjusted |
1.49 (1.19; 1.86) |
0.99 (0.85; 1.15) |
1.10 (0.94; 1.29) |
1.47 (1.18; 1.83) |
1.62 (1.32; 2.00) |
Adjusted* |
1.52 (1.20; 1.93) |
0.96 (0.82; 1.13) |
1.09 (0.93; 1.27) |
1.49 (1.18; 1.88) |
1.62 (1.30; 2.02) |
|
T2T-LDA |
Unadjusted |
1.95 (1.46; 2.61) |
1.37 (1.14; 1.64) |
1.30 (1.09; 1.56) |
2.24 (1.66; 3.01) |
2.53 (1.90; 3.38) |
Adjusted* |
2.14 (1.56; 2.95) |
1.36 (1.12; 1.64) |
1.30 (1.08; 1.56) |
2.46 (1.77; 3.43) |
2.74 (2.00; 3.76) |
* Adjusted for age, gender and disease duration
T2T-REM: treat-to-target with remission (DAS28≤2.6) as benchmark; T2T-LDA: treat-to-target with low disease activity (DAS28≤3.2) as benchmark
Conclusion: A treat-to-target approach, even with a modest benchmark (DAS28=3.2), works instantaneously and leads to higher ACR/EULAR-remission rates. T2T is more effective in DMARD-naïve than in DMARD-experienced patients. Rheumatologists should be encouraged to follow a treat-to-target approach in order to improve the outcome of their patients.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Ramiro S, Landewé RBM, van der Heijde D, FitzGerald O, Østergaard M, Homik J, Elkayam O, Thorne JC, Larche M, Ferraccioli G, Backhaus M, Boire G, Combe B, Schaeverbeke T, Saraux A, Dougados M, Adami S, Govoni M, Sinigaglia L, Cantagrel AG, Allaart CF, Barnabe C, Bingham CO III, Tak PP, van Schaardenburg D, Hammer HB, Dadashova R, Hutchings E, Paschke J, Maksymowych W. Is Treat-to-Target Really Working? a Longitudinal Analysis in Biodam [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/is-treat-to-target-really-working-a-longitudinal-analysis-in-biodam/. Accessed .« Back to 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting
ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/is-treat-to-target-really-working-a-longitudinal-analysis-in-biodam/