ArticleArthritis care & research2022
Medication Interruptions and Subsequent Disease Flares During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Online Study of Patients With Rheumatic Disease.
Article in Arthritis care & research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Outpatient hospital attendances in people with rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: a cohort study in three nations of the UK.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Impact of non-serious infections on medication interruptions, quality of life, and disease flares in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Generating Real-World Evidence From the Excellence Network in Rheumatology.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2024Article
- Managing Immunosuppression in Vasculitis Patients in Times of Coronavirus Disease 2019.Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America · 2023Review
- Observational
- Balancing COVID-19 Risk With Physical and Mental Wellness: Perspectives of Patients With Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases Throughout the Pandemic.ACR open rheumatology · 2023Article
- The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination on inflammatory arthritis: a cohort study.Frontiers in immunology · 2023Article
- Rheumatic disease patient decision-making about COVID-19 vaccination: a qualitative analysis.BMC rheumatology · 2022Article
- DMARD disruption, rheumatic disease flare, and prolonged COVID-19 symptom duration after acute COVID-19 among patients with rheumatic disease: A prospective study.Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism · 2022Article
- Overview of infections as an etiologic factor and complication in patients with vasculitides.Rheumatology international · 2022Review
- DMARD disruption, disease flare, and prolonged symptom duration after acute COVID-19 among participants with rheumatic disease: A prospective study.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveWe aimed to assess trends in anxiety and interruptions in disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use among patients with rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate whether DMARD interruptions were associated with disease flares.
methodsArthritisPower, the Vasculitis Patient-Powered Research Network, and other patient organizations invited members to join a 52-week longitudinal study, with baseline surveys completed March 29 to June 30, 2020, with follow-up through May 2021. Logistic regression incorporating generalized estimating equations evaluated associations between interruptions in DMARD use and self-reported disease flares at the next survey, adjusting for demographic characteristics, medications, disease, and calendar time.
resultsAmong 2,424 patients completing a median of 5 follow-up surveys, the mean age was 57 years, 87% were female, and the most common conditions were rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and psoriatic arthritis. Average Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) anxiety T scores decreased from April 2020 (58.7) to May 2021 (53.7) (P < 0.001 for trend). Interruptions in DMARD use decreased from April (11.2%) to December 2020 (7.5%) (P < 0.001) but increased through May 2021 (14.0%) (P < 0.001). Interruptions in DMARD use were associated with a significant increase in severe flares (rated ≥6 of 10) at the next survey (12.9% versus 8.0% [odds ratio (OR) 1.71 (95% confidence interval [95% CI 1.23, 2.36]) although not any flare (OR 1.18 [95% CI 0.89, 1.58])].
conclusionAnxiety and interruptions in DMARD use initially decreased over time, but DMARD interruptions increased during 2021, possibly related to an increase in COVID-19 cases or vaccine availability. Interruptions in DMARD use were associated with increased rates of severe disease flares, highlighting the importance of avoiding unnecessary DMARD interruptions.
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