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Frequency of Symptomatic Adverse Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Exploratory Online Survey
Glen S Hazlewood1, Orit Schieir2, Vivian Bykerk3
1G.S. Hazlewood, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, and Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, and Arthritis Research Canada, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada; gshazlew@ucalgary.ca.
The Journal of Rheumatology
|March 2, 2022
Summary
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) frequently experience bothersome symptomatic adverse events (AEs) from their drug therapies. This study highlights the patient-reported burden of RA medications, underscoring the need for better AE assessment tools.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment involves various medications, including disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), steroids, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
- Understanding the patient-reported experience of symptomatic adverse events (AEs) is crucial for effective RA management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To gather initial data on the frequency and impact of symptomatic AEs associated with RA drug therapy from the patient's perspective.
- To explore the relationship between RA medication use and the occurrence of AEs.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory online survey was administered to patients with RA.
- Participants reported experiencing 80 different symptomatic AEs using the Patient-Reported Outcomes of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) criteria.
- Regression models analyzed associations between AEs, RA medication use, and overall bother.
Main Results:
- Of 560 RA patients surveyed, 38% reported over 20 symptomatic AEs in the past week.
- Most patients (67%) found their side effects bothersome (somewhat, quite a bit, or very much).
- Current prednisone and NSAID use were linked to the highest number of reported AEs.
Conclusions:
- Patients with RA frequently experience bothersome symptomatic AEs from their medications.
- The findings emphasize the need for further development and validation of patient-reported outcome measures for rheumatic diseases.
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