Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Nov 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyVery low-dose prednisolone in early rheumatoid arthritis retards radiographic progression over two years: a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
To assess the effect of 5 mg/day prednisolone on disease progression in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving standardized disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy. ⋯ The very low daily dose of 5 mg prednisolone given over 2 years in combination with background DMARD therapy substantially decreased radiographic progression in early RA at low risk.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Oct 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialCluster randomized controlled trial of the impact of a computer-assisted learning package on the learning of musculoskeletal examination skills by undergraduate medical students.
To identify whether there was measurable impact of a specific computer-assisted learning (CAL) package, "Virtual Rheumatology," on the learning of musculoskeletal examination skills by medical students. ⋯ The Virtual Rheumatology CD has a positive impact on the acquisition of musculoskeletal examination skills in medical students. Further study is needed to see if similar advantages could be gained in other clinical specialities and how CAL resources could be effectively integrated into the medical curriculum.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Oct 2005
Multicenter Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialSpondyloarthritis research Consortium of Canada magnetic resonance imaging index for assessment of sacroiliac joint inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis.
To develop a feasible magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based scoring system for sacroiliac joint inflammation in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) that requires minimal scan time, does not require contrast enhancement, evaluates lesions separately at each articular surface, and limits the number of sacroiliac images that are scored. ⋯ The Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada MRI index is a feasible and reproducible index for measuring sacroiliac joint inflammation in patients with AS.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Oct 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialReduction of the efficacy of methotrexate by the use of folic acid: post hoc analysis from two randomized controlled studies.
To examine the effect of folic acid on the efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at 12 months in 2 phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of leflunomide in which MTX was used as a comparator. ⋯ After using propensity scores to adjust for differences in the baseline characteristics of folic acid users and non-folic acid users, 9-21% fewer MTX-treated RA patients taking folic acid had ACR 20%, 50%, or 70% improvement at 52 weeks compared with those who did not receive folic acid in the 2 phase III RA clinical trials. As a post hoc analysis, the results of this data analysis should be considered "hypothesis generating" and an impetus for future studies regarding the effects of folic acid on the efficacy of MTX in RA.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · May 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialA 48-week, randomized, double-blind, double-observer, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of combination methotrexate and intramuscular gold therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: results of the METGO study.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding intramuscular (IM) gold to the treatment regimen of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have a suboptimal response to methotrexate (MTX). ⋯ In RA patients with a suboptimal response to MTX, adding weekly IM gold causes significant clinical improvement. Adverse events were minor, and IM gold-related adverse events led to discontinuation in only 11% of the gold group over 48 weeks.