Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29141677›Full record

ArticleArthritis research & therapy2017

Factors associated with oral glucocorticoid use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a drug use study from a prospective national biologics registry.

Rachel J Black, Susan Lester, Rachelle Buchbinder, Claire Barrett, Marissa Lassere, Lyn March, Samuel Whittle, Catherine L Hill

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Arthritis research & therapy, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. First fracture in rheumatoid arthritis: analysis by fracture site, gender, age, and comorbidities.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2025
    Article
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Observational
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Rachel J BlackRheumatology Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5000, Australia. rachel.black2@sa.gov.au.
Susan LesterDivision of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Rachelle BuchbinderMonash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Claire BarrettRedcliffe Hospital, Redcliffe, Australia.
Marissa LassereSchool of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Lyn MarchNorthern Clinical School, Institute of Bone and Joint Research, University of Sydney, Department of Rheumatology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Samuel WhittleRheumatology Unit, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, Australia.
Catherine L HillRheumatology Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5000, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGlucocorticoids (GCs) are used in ~ 60% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although disease-modifying, they also have significant adverse effects. Understanding factors associated with GC use may help minimise exposure. The aims of the present study were to describe oral GC use in RA; determine any change in use over time; and determine factors associated with oral GC use, commencement or cessation.

methodsAdult patients with RA were identified in the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD), a national Australian registry that collects long-term outcome data from patients with inflammatory arthritis. Patients were categorised by their ARAD date of entry (DOE), with population-averaged logistic regression and transition state analysis used to determine any change in GC use over time. Fixed-effects panel regression was used to examine whether GC current use was associated with pain/arthritis activity/Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores or medication use. Transition state analysis was used to assess whether these factors influenced the commencement or cessation of GCs.

resultsA total of 3699 patients with RA completed a baseline ARAD questionnaire (73% female, mean age 57 years). The probability of GC use decreased over time according to ARAD DOE: September 2001 to March 2005, 55% (95% CI 52-58%); March 2005 to September 2008, 47% (45-49%); September 2008 to March 2012, 42% (39-45%); and March 2012 to October 2015, 39% (34-43%) (p < 0.001). Conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (OR 10.13; 95% CI 8.22-12.47), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (1.18; 1.02-1.37) and opioids (2.14; 1.84-2.48) were associated with GC current use, as were lower pain scores (0.94; 0.90-0.98), higher arthritis activity scores (1.09; 1.05-1.14) and poorer HAQ scores (1.52; 1.30-1.79). Use of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) was not associated with GC current use (0.98; 0.83-1.15) or GC cessation (HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.75-1.01), but it was associated with GC commencement (0.54; 0.47-0.62).

conclusionsThe probability of oral GC use decreased over time, with reduced commencement and increased cessation of GCs. The modest effect of bDMARDs on GC cessation was not statistically significant.

Indexed as

Administration, OralAdultAgedArthritis, RheumatoidAustraliaBiological ProductsFemaleGlucocorticoidsHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRegistriesRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesTime FactorsBiological ProductsGlucocorticoidsDrug useEpidemiologyGlucocorticoidsRheumatoid arthritis

Identifiers

PMID29141677
PMCPMC5688724

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.