Economic and quality-of-life impact of rheumatoid arthritis

Although RA is a disabling disease with increased mortality and an unknown cure, early treatment with DMARD therapy improves patient outcomes. The economic and humanistic effects of this disease are substantial, with patients becoming increasingly disabled from RA. It is extremely encouraging to the rheumatology community that leflunomide provides significant and sustained improvements in clinical signs and symptoms, and offers practicing physicians an additional option in the treatment of RA. It improves and maintains physical function and HRQoL. Leflunomide's effects were consistent across three studies over two years of treatment. It has been demonstrated to improve physical function as measured by the HAQ DI, and HRQoL as indicated by the SF-36 data, two instruments held up as the gold standard for the assessment of patient outcomes in RA clinical trials.