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Comparative Disease Burden in Patients with RA, PsA, or axSpA
Disease burden in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) was comparable to or greater than that in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on common patient-reported outcome measures, but appeared lower when evaluated using RA disease activity measures, a new study found. The study included adults with RA, PsA, or axSpA enrolled in the Corrona RA and PsA/SpA registries between March 2013 and March 2018. Researchers found:
- 11,350 patients with RA, 2,003 patients with PsA, and 495 patients with axSpA were included.
- Patients with RA had shorter mean symptoms and disease duration vs those with PsA or axSpA.
- Patients with PsA had higher pain and fatigue scores than patients with RA.
Mease PJ, et al. Comparative disease burden in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or axial spondyloarthritis: Data from two Corrona registries. [Published online ahead of print September 16, 2019]. Rheumatol Ther. doi: 10.1007/s40744-019-00172-9.
This study examines data from the Corrona RA and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) /axial spondyloarthropathy (SpA) registries in terms of disease burden among enrolled adults from 2013 to 2018, including over 11,000 RA patients and about 2000 patients with PsA and 500 patients with axial SpA. RA patients overall had a lower duration of disease and symptoms, suggesting that PsA and axial SpA patients are. Interestingly, both PsA and axial SpA patients had higher patient global assessment scores than RA patients and patients with PsA had lower physician global assessment scores. Use of RA-focused disease activity scores to evaluate PsA and axial SpA may not adequately reflect patients’ burden of disease. Instead, disease-specific outcome measures would be useful along with patient-patient-reported outcome measures. —Arundathi Jayatilleke, MD