Association between rheumatoid arthritis flares and joint structural changes at 24 months: using FLARE-RA...

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Clinical Research
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management requires accurate disease activity assessment.
• Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly vital for monitoring RA.
• The self-administered Flare Assessment in Rheumatoid Arthritis (FLARE-RA) questionnaire assesses RA flares between clinical visits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if RA flares detected by the FLARE-RA questionnaire predict joint structural damage progression over 2 years.
• To explore the association between FLARE-RA scores and established RA outcome measures.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study of 221 adults with early RA (disease duration <10 years, HAQ-DI <1).
• Patients completed FLARE-RA every 3 months and were followed clinically every 6 months for 24 months.
• Radiographs of wrists and feet were assessed for structural changes at baseline and 24 months.

Main Results:

• FLARE-RA global score was not associated with structural joint damage progression or erosion progression at 24 months.
• FLARE-RA scores significantly correlated with Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), Physician Global Assessment, and HAQ-DI.
• FLARE-RA was also associated with Patient Acceptable Symptom State, Minimal Clinically Important Difference, and treatment intensification.

Conclusions:

• The FLARE-RA questionnaire is a valuable tool for assessing patient-reported disease activity in RA.
• FLARE-RA scores correlate well with physician-based assessments and other key RA outcome measures.
• FLARE-RA shows potential for use in routine care and remote monitoring of RA patients.