Key clinical point: Disease activity is associated with fatigue in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and patients who achieve early remission are at lower risk for experiencing fatigue.
Major finding: Patients who achieved remission at 6 months had a lower chance of experiencing fatigue at 24 months (Disease Activity Score 44 remission, odds ratio [OR] 0.31; P < .001). Fewer swollen joints (OR 0.92; P = .006), lower power Doppler ultrasound score (OR 0.95; P = .027), and a higher patient global assessment score (OR 1.03; P < .001) raised the likelihood of clinically relevant fatigue at 24 months.
Study details: The findings come from the analysis of 205 individuals from the ARCTIC trial . Patients were randomly assigned to a treat-to-target approach with and without musculoskeletal ultrasonography during clinical examinations and treatment decisions.
Disclosures: This work was supported by the DAM Foundation. Some of the authors declared receiving personal fees, personal honoraria, consultancy honorariums/fees, and serving on the data safety monitoring board or advisory board of various sources.
Source: Holton K et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2021 Aug 13. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2021-220750 .