ArticleDrugs & aging2020
Safety and Effectiveness of Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Older Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Article in Drugs & aging, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Natural and iatrogenic ocular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.International ophthalmology · 2022Pooled it
- Agranulocytosis associated with metamizole among EudraVigilance reports involving methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Article
- What to do when the first TNF inhibitor fails in rheumatoid arthritis: stratified expert recommendations from a scoping review and Delphi consensus.Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease · 2026Article
- Retention Rates of Biological Drugs in Spondyloarthritis: A 24-Month Observational Study in Patients Aged 60 Years or Older.Drugs - real world outcomes · 2025Article
- Review
- Persistence and Safety of Golimumab in Elderly Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Renal Dysfunction in a Real-World Setting.Drugs - real world outcomes · 2023Article
- Do medical treatment choices affect the health of chronic patients in middle and old age in China?-Evidence from CHARLS 2018.BMC public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
16 authors at 10 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectiveThe number of older patients with rheumatoid arthritis is increasing, but data on drug effectiveness and safety in these patients are scarce. This study assessed the effectiveness and safety of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in older patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
methodsThis prospective cohort study was based on data recorded in the Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Register (Reuma.pt). Treatment persistence, European League Against Rheumatism response at 6 and 12 months, and adverse events were compared between adult (age < 65 years), old (age 65-74 years), and very old (age ≥ 75 years) patients.
resultsIn total, 2401 patients were included, of which 379 were old and 83 were very old. Older patients had higher disease activity at baseline (Disease Activity Score 28: 5.5 in adults, 5.7 in old patients, and 6 in very old patients; p = 0.02) and more comorbidities, with patients aged 65-74 years beginning biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs later in the course of rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment persistence was similar in the three patient groups (p = 0.07). The European League Against Rheumatism response rates were comparable in the three groups at 6 months (81.6% of adults, 75.2% of old patients, and 81.8% of very old patients; p = 0.19), and inferior in old patients at 12 months. The proportion of patients who experienced adverse events was also similar in the three groups (21% of adults, 22.5% of old patients, and 22.9% of very old patients; p = 0.76), but the rate of serious adverse events was higher in old patients (1.94/100 patient-years) and very old patients (4.29/100 patient-years) compared with 1.03/100 patient-years in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (p < 0.05).
conclusionsAdults, old patients, and very old patients with rheumatoid arthritis benefit similarly from biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatments, although older patients have more active disease at baseline and more comorbidities. However, it is necessary to consider the risk of serious adverse events in older patients when prescribing a biologic.
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