Major Finding: TNF-inhibitor users reduced the average sick leave time from 9.8 days per month at the start of treatment to 6.5 days after 6 months of treatment.
Data Source: A study of 365 Swedish adults aged 18-58 years with rheumatoid arthritis
Disclosures: The researchers said that they had no relevant financial disclosures.
A significant 30% reduction in the number of sick leave days per month was seen in adults with rheumatoid arthritis after using TNF antagonists for 6 months.
The finding was observed in a population-based study of 365 RA patients aged 18-85 years.
The study is among the first to address the quantitative impact of TNF inhibitors on sick leave and disability pension, said Dr. Tor Olofsson of Lund (Sweden) University, and colleagues, whose study was published in the December issue of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
They reviewed insurance database information on RA patients enrolled in the South Swedish Arthritis Treatment Group registry.
Each patient was matched with four controls from the general population.
The study population averaged 9 sick days per month in the first month of anti-TNF treatment. The monthly rate dropped to an average of 6.5 days after 6 months and remained steady at an average of 6.6 days per month for months 6-12 (Ann. Rheum. Dis. 2010;69:2131-6).
Compared with the controls in the general population, the relative risk of being on sick leave in the RA group was 6.6 at the start of treatment, but dropped to 5.1 after 6 months, and remained at an average of 5.2 for the rest of the year. The relative risk of being on disability pension was 3.4 at the start of treatment and 3.2 after one year of treatment.
Approximately 98% of the patients had tried at least one disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) before starting anti-TNF therapy.
The average age of the patients was 46 years, and 82% were women. A total of 92 patients (25%) discontinued treatment, including 34 for adverse events, 32 for treatment failure, and 26 for other reasons.
http://www.rheumatologynews.com/article/S1541-9800(11)70029-1/fulltext