Deep dive into achieving the therapeutic target: results from a prospective, 6‑month, observational study nested in...

Achieving remission or lowdisease activity (LDA) is an integral principle of treat‑to‑target (T2T) strategy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Prior studies have reported that achieving T2T therapeutic goals may be realistic only for a fraction of patients. Prospective, real‑world data on achieving target disease control in ambulatory care populations are limited for Central and Eastern European countries.

The aim of the study was to analyze the efficacy of treatment and determine simple predictors of achieving T2T therapy goals in daily RA practice.

This multicenter, 6‑month study evaluated therapy outcomes and clinical characteristics of 791 consecutive RA outpatients, meeting the preset criteria of inadequate disease control.

Only 9% of RA patients achieved remission or LAD after 3 months and 35% after 6 months. Achieving treatment targets after 6 months was associated with lower rates of pain, disability, presenteeism and absenteeism, which reflected improved quality of life. Provider views on adherence appeared discordant with patient claims, and did not predict target achievement. Never smoking, lower body mass index, and lower prednisone dose (<7.5 mg daily) were independently associated with a higher likelihood of achieving T2T therapeutic goals after 6 months.

A combination of clinical characteristics and provider treatment decisions shapes the "profile" of a patient failing to achieve T2T goals. Low‑dose steroid equivalent, never smoking, and lower body mass index appear as individual characteristics independently associated with achieving LDA / remission at 3 and 6 months.