Page 164 - THE EVOLUTION OF EARLY ARTHRITIS AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK Samina A. Turk
P. 164

CHAPTER 8
The study population comprised patients with newly diagnosed and treatment- naive RA starting anti-rheumatic treatment according to recent EULAR guidelines, i.e. methotrexate and prednisolone (1). Response was rapid and sustained, and characterized by relatively high rates of both self-reported and Boolean remission. It is highly likely that the perception of normality will further increase over time, once more patients reach remission and once the natural process of accepting and adapting to a chronic illness is further completed. It is therefore of interest to see if the perception of normality will further increase after one or two years after diagnosis. Furthermore, additional research is needed to see whether progressive disease (development of deformities or functional limitation) is reflected in the normality score and to what extent. In the context of states of low disease activity and remission, further data in specific disease states is needed to develop cut-off points.
To conclude, the feeling of normality appears to be a relevant aspect of remission as experienced by the patient. The normality scale is responsive, discriminates between patients in and not in remission, and aligns with patient-perceived remission. As treatment should be targeted at patient-relevant outcomes and given the favorable measurement properties suggested by this small study, it warrants further exploration as measurement instrument in the context of remission.
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