Late-onset rheumatoid arthritis registry study, LORIS study: study protocol and design.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Geriatrics
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Limited evidence exists for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in older adults.
• Late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (LORA) is a growing global health concern.
• Existing RA treatment guidelines lack specific recommendations for elderly patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a comprehensive registry for late-onset RA (LORA) patients.
• To investigate optimal treatment strategies tailored to patient background, including frailty.
• To enhance treatment quality and daily living for LORA patients.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, nationwide, multicenter observational study (LORIS).
• Inclusion criteria: age ≥ 65 years at RA onset, meeting 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria, initiating DMARDs or first biologic/targeted synthetic DMARDs.
• Comprehensive baseline assessment (clinical data, function, psychosocial factors, frailty) with follow-up at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months.

Main Results:

• Data collection ongoing from January 2022 to December 2023.
• Analysis will focus on factors associated with adverse events and remission achievement.
• Descriptive summarization of collected data.

Conclusions:

• A multidisciplinary panel (patients, rheumatologists, geriatric specialists) will discuss findings.
• Consensus will be built regarding treatment goals for LORA.
• The study aims to provide evidence for shared decision-making in LORA treatment.