A decrease in disease activity score (DAS) level is associated with a decrease in health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) score, independent of follow-up duration, during 5 years of tightly controlled treatment: results from the BeSt study.
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Ann Rheum Dis. 2010 Nov 29;
van der Kooi E, Klarenbeek NB, Güler-Yüksel M, Kerstens PJ, van der Lubbe PA, Westedt ML, Ten Wolde S, Huizinga TW, Dijkmans BA, Allaart CF
OBJECTIVE: /st> To assess the relationship between a decrease in disease activity score (DAS) and functional ability during 5 years of DAS-steered treatment in recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, taking into account absolute DAS levels and follow-up duration. METHODS: /st> Data from the BeSt study were used, in which treatment was aimed at achieving DAS ≤2.4. The longitudinal relationship between 3-monthly measured DAS and health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) score was assessed using linear mixed modelling during 5 years of treatment, with DAS and HAQ 3 months earlier, change in DAS in last 3 months (delta DAS), time (log-transformed) and their interactions as determinants. RESULTS: /st> Predictors for HAQ were: previous DAS, delta DAS, ln time, the interaction previous DAS×delta DAS, and previous HAQ. The interaction ln time×delta DAS was non-significant, indicating that the association between delta DAS and HAQ was independent of follow-up duration. A decrease from a higher DAS was associated with a smaller HAQ decrease than for a similar decrease from a lower DAS, indicating a non-linear relationship between DAS and HAQ. CONCLUSION: /st> At аחу time аƖƖ through 5 years οf follow-up, a decrease іח DAS wаѕ linked wіtһ a better functional ability. Tһе magnitude οf HAQ improvement depends οח tһе DAS decrease аחԁ οח tһе resolution DAS level.
HubMed – arthritis