RA Strategy: Treat Early, but With What Medicines?
RA Strategy: Treat Early, but With What Medicines?
Oct. 30, 2013 (San Diego) -- Most experts agree it’s best to treat rheumatoid arthritis early -- and some say aggressively -- as soon as the diagnosis is made.
But debate continues about what medications are best to use first, and in what combinations. Some experts think patients should use three medications, known as triple DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs), from the start. Others favor starting with a single medication.
The old mantra ''start low, go slow" is out the door, says Kam Nola, PharmD. She is an associate professor of pharmacy at Lipscomb University's College of Pharmacy in Nashville.
About 1.3 million Americans have RA, a chronic and potentially disabling disease that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling, and limits how joints work. The American College of Rheumatology recommends starting with methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) alone for most patients, then switching or adding other drugs if necessary. These include other DMARDs, as well as the more expensive injected biologics.
At a news conference Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, several researchers shared study findings that looked at specific treatment strategies.
Here is what they found:
Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis
But debate continues about what medications are best to use first, and in what combinations. Some experts think patients should use three medications, known as triple DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs), from the start. Others favor starting with a single medication.
The old mantra ''start low, go slow" is out the door, says Kam Nola, PharmD. She is an associate professor of pharmacy at Lipscomb University's College of Pharmacy in Nashville.
About 1.3 million Americans have RA, a chronic and potentially disabling disease that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling, and limits how joints work. The American College of Rheumatology recommends starting with methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) alone for most patients, then switching or adding other drugs if necessary. These include other DMARDs, as well as the more expensive injected biologics.
At a news conference Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, several researchers shared study findings that looked at specific treatment strategies.
Here is what they found:
Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis
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