1. Drug consumption in the first years of rheumatoid arthritis in France, The Netherlands, and Norway. A longitudinal study in the early nineties.
- Author
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Ludig A, Guillemin F, Chary-Valckenaere I, Suurmeijer TP, Moum T, and van den Heuvel WJ
- Subjects
- Adrenal Cortex Hormones therapeutic use, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal therapeutic use, Antirheumatic Agents administration & dosage, Antirheumatic Agents therapeutic use, Arthritis, Rheumatoid surgery, Cohort Studies, France, Humans, Injections, Intra-Articular, Longitudinal Studies, Netherlands, Norway, Arthritis, Rheumatoid drug therapy, Drug Utilization statistics & numerical data
- Abstract
Objective: To analyse drug consumption in the first years of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in France, the Netherlands, and Norway, in a longitudinal study between 1991 and 1993., Patients and Methods: The EURIDISS cohort followed up over three years included 695 RA subjects with less than 5 years disease duration. Clinical and biological parameters, drug consumption according to ATC classification, and use of local treatment were recorded., Results: In the Netherlands consumption of second-line treatment occurred early on, and remained constant over time. In France, it was consumed by half of the subjects and decreased during follow-up (p<0.001). In Norway, 50% of the subjects were on second-line treatment at the outset. NSAIDs rather than corticoids were the most widely consumed. Patients underwent frequently local treatments with decrease frequency of infiltrations over time (p<0.001)., Conclusion: Second-line treatments were used in the first years of disease development, following varying sequences in the different countries.
- Published
- 2000
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