Rheumatoid Arthritis

Changes/additions to materials:
NICE guideline on rheumatoid arthritis published
Since we published these materials, NICE has published its clinical guideline on the management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults. It covers the management of rheumatoid arthritis of recent onset and more established disease and includes sections on diagnosis and referral, pharmacological and surgical management and the role of the multidisciplinary team. See the blog for a brief summary of the NICE guidance.

Combination therapy with DMARDs is BeSt
The BeSt study showed that four different disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) significantly improved patient-orientated outcomes after two years in people with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis. Earlier improvements were seen in those initially treated with combination strategies. See the blog for more details about the study and its limitations.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Data Focussed Commentary

We have produced data-focussed commentaries to highlight areas where there appear to be differences between the evidence-base, as described elsewhere on this floor, and current clinical practice. These resources can be read on the screen by clicking the 'flash' version, or by downloading and printing the 'PDF' version.

This commentary covers the use of analgesics and NSAIDs (including coxibs), the use of DMARDs (disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) as well as the biological agents such as infliximab and etanercept.