Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36599630›Full record

ArticleRMD open2023

Tapering glucocorticoids and risk of flare in rheumatoid arthritis on biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).

Giovanni Adami, Angelo Fassio, Maurizio Rossini, Davide Bertelle, Francesca Pistillo, Camilla Benini, Ombretta Viapiana, Davide Gatti

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in RMD open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
5.0field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.

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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 at 1 institution in 1 country.

Giovanni AdamiRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy adami.g@yahoo.com.ORCID 0000-0002-8915-0755
Angelo FassioRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Maurizio RossiniRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Davide BertelleRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Francesca PistilloRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Camilla BeniniRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Ombretta ViapianaRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1917-5655
Davide GattiRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
University of Verona · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionGlucocorticoids are still a mainstream of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. Reducing glucocorticoids should be attempted in all patients. However, choosing the right tapering strategy is challenging. The primary aim of our study is to determine the dose-response association between glucocorticoid tapering and risk of flare in RA.

methodsWe conducted a case-crossover study to determine the factors associated to higher risk of flare in patients with RA. In case-crossover studies time-varying factors are assessed before events (hazard periods) and before control periods. We defined hazard periods as the 6 months immediately preceding flares of RA. Control periods were the 6 months prior to visits without flare. Exposure of interest was the tapering of glucocorticoids to various doses.

results508 patients with RA were included in the study and 267 (52.5%) had at least a flare and served as the case-crossover study population. 1545 visits were available for analysis and 345 (22.3%) flares were recorded. Discontinuation of glucocorticoids (ie, tapering to doses of 0 mg/day) and tapering to 0-2.5 mg/day was associated with higher risk of flare (adjusted OR (aOR) of 1.45, 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.24 and aOR of 1.37; 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.01, respectively). Tapering to doses >2.5 mg/day was not associated with significantly higher risk of flare.

conclusionsWe found that tapering to doses of >2.5 mg/day was generally effective in terms of risk of flare. Flare risk was higher when glucocorticoids were tapered to doses ≤2.5 mg/day. Our study might help design new tapering strategies in patients with RA on biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Indexed as

Antirheumatic AgentsArthritis, RheumatoidCross-Over StudiesGlucocorticoidsHumansRemission InductionAntirheumatic AgentsGlucocorticoidsglucocorticoidsinflammationrheumatoid arthritis

Identifiers

PMID36599630
OpenAlexW4313482968

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.