Effects of addition of low-dose oral daily corticosteroids to the initial anti-rheumatic therapy on radiographic damage and disease activity in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis
Completed
- Conditions
- Rheumatoid ArthritisMusculoskeletal DiseasesRheumatoid arthritis, unspecified
- Registration Number
- ISRCTN20612367
- Lead Sponsor
- Karolinska Institute (Karolinska Institutet) (Sweden)
- Brief Summary
Not available
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- Completed
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 250
Inclusion Criteria
1. Diagnosis of RA according to the 1987 revised criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)
2. Age 18-80 years
3. Disease duration of = 1 year
4. Active disease defined as a Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) of >3.0
5. Started by the treating rheumatologist on the first DMARD
Exclusion Criteria
1. Earlier treatment with glucocorticoids for RA or other diseases
2. Previous treatment with DMARDs
3. Contraindication for glucocorticoid therapy
4. Previous fragility fractures
5. Patients aged < 65 years with a T-score lower than -2.5 on bone densitometry; and patients aged = 65 years with a Z-score of less than -1
Study & Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method