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Patients with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis who are treated with methotrexate plus infliximab are more likely to remain employed or able to work than are patients treated with methotrexate alone, according to findings from another new analysis of the ASPIRE trial data.
Physical function deteriorates so rapidly in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that 20% of employed patients have to quit their jobs within 2 years of disease onset, and approximately half of RA patients face work disability within 10 years, reported Dr. Josef S. Smolen of the Medical University of Vienna, and his colleagues in Europe and the United States (Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:716–22).
Patients in the ASPIRE (Active-Controlled Study of Patients Receiving Infliximab for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis of Early Onset) trial—which compared methotrexate alone with methotrexate plus infliximab—were asked at each visit whether they were currently employed and if not, whether they felt well enough to work if a job were available.
The new analysis, which covered approximately 850 patients aged 65 years or younger, found that rapid disease control in early-stage RA reduced patients work disability and improved their employability, reported Dr. Smolen and colleagues.
While the actual employment rate did not differ significantly between the two treatment groups, the patients treated with both drugs were more likely to maintain their employability or to feel able to work throughout the 54-week study.
The proportion of patients whose status changed from employable at baseline to unemployable at week 54 was smaller in the methotrexate-plus-infliximab group than in the methotrexate-only group (8% vs. 14%, respectively). Similarly, the proportion of employed patients who lost more than 10 workdays was smaller in the combination group, when compared with the methotrexate-only group (10% vs. 17%, respectively), the investigators reported.
Patients with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis who are treated with methotrexate plus infliximab are more likely to remain employed or able to work than are patients treated with methotrexate alone, according to findings from another new analysis of the ASPIRE trial data.
Physical function deteriorates so rapidly in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that 20% of employed patients have to quit their jobs within 2 years of disease onset, and approximately half of RA patients face work disability within 10 years, reported Dr. Josef S. Smolen of the Medical University of Vienna, and his colleagues in Europe and the United States (Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:716–22).
Patients in the ASPIRE (Active-Controlled Study of Patients Receiving Infliximab for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis of Early Onset) trial—which compared methotrexate alone with methotrexate plus infliximab—were asked at each visit whether they were currently employed and if not, whether they felt well enough to work if a job were available.
The new analysis, which covered approximately 850 patients aged 65 years or younger, found that rapid disease control in early-stage RA reduced patients work disability and improved their employability, reported Dr. Smolen and colleagues.
While the actual employment rate did not differ significantly between the two treatment groups, the patients treated with both drugs were more likely to maintain their employability or to feel able to work throughout the 54-week study.
The proportion of patients whose status changed from employable at baseline to unemployable at week 54 was smaller in the methotrexate-plus-infliximab group than in the methotrexate-only group (8% vs. 14%, respectively). Similarly, the proportion of employed patients who lost more than 10 workdays was smaller in the combination group, when compared with the methotrexate-only group (10% vs. 17%, respectively), the investigators reported.
Patients with early-stage rheumatoid arthritis who are treated with methotrexate plus infliximab are more likely to remain employed or able to work than are patients treated with methotrexate alone, according to findings from another new analysis of the ASPIRE trial data.
Physical function deteriorates so rapidly in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that 20% of employed patients have to quit their jobs within 2 years of disease onset, and approximately half of RA patients face work disability within 10 years, reported Dr. Josef S. Smolen of the Medical University of Vienna, and his colleagues in Europe and the United States (Arthritis Rheum. 2006;54:716–22).
Patients in the ASPIRE (Active-Controlled Study of Patients Receiving Infliximab for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis of Early Onset) trial—which compared methotrexate alone with methotrexate plus infliximab—were asked at each visit whether they were currently employed and if not, whether they felt well enough to work if a job were available.
The new analysis, which covered approximately 850 patients aged 65 years or younger, found that rapid disease control in early-stage RA reduced patients work disability and improved their employability, reported Dr. Smolen and colleagues.
While the actual employment rate did not differ significantly between the two treatment groups, the patients treated with both drugs were more likely to maintain their employability or to feel able to work throughout the 54-week study.
The proportion of patients whose status changed from employable at baseline to unemployable at week 54 was smaller in the methotrexate-plus-infliximab group than in the methotrexate-only group (8% vs. 14%, respectively). Similarly, the proportion of employed patients who lost more than 10 workdays was smaller in the combination group, when compared with the methotrexate-only group (10% vs. 17%, respectively), the investigators reported.