PMID- 15801012
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20050711
LR  - 20181201
IS  - 0315-162X (Print)
IS  - 0315-162X (Linking)
VI  - 32
IP  - 4
DP  - 2005 Apr
TI  - Physical function and health related quality of life: analysis of 2-year data 
      from randomized, controlled studies of leflunomide, sulfasalazine, or 
      methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.
PG  - 590-601
AB  - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether improvements in physical function and health 
      related quality of life (HRQOL) are sustained over 2 years of blinded treatment 
      with leflunomide (LEF), methotrexate (MTX), or sulfasalazine (SSZ) in patients 
      with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Three phase III randomized, 
      controlled trials compared LEF, MTX, and SSZ in patients with active RA. 
      Improvements in physical function were assessed by Health Assessment 
      Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and Modified Health Assessment 
      Questionnaire (MHAQ); monthly MHAQ and mean HAQ scores were used to calculate 
      American College of Rheumatology responses; HAQ-DI was assessed at baseline and 
      6-month intervals. In US301, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form 
      questionnaire (SF-36) assessed treatment-associated changes in HRQOL at baseline 
      and 6-month intervals. RESULTS: Mean and median improvements in HAQ-DI after 12 
      and 24 months of active treatment in all phase III protocols significantly 
      exceeded -0.22 or a minimum clinically important difference (MCID). These 
      improvements closely reflected positive changes in SF-36 that met or exceeded 
      MCID in all domains with LEF and MTX treatment. Problem Elicitation Technique Top 
      5 scores reflected improvements in performance of physical activities most 
      important to patients. CONCLUSION: Improvements in physical function were 
      sustained over 24 months of successful treatment with LEF, MTX, and SSZ, and 
      reflected improvements in mental as well as physical domains of HRQOL.
FAU - Strand, Vibeke
AU  - Strand V
AD  - Division of Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, 
      California, USA.
FAU - Scott, David L
AU  - Scott DL
FAU - Emery, Paul
AU  - Emery P
FAU - Kalden, Joachim R
AU  - Kalden JR
FAU - Smolen, Josef S
AU  - Smolen JS
FAU - Cannon, Grant W
AU  - Cannon GW
FAU - Tugwell, Peter
AU  - Tugwell P
FAU - Crawford, Bruce
AU  - Crawford B
CN  - Leflunomide Rheumatoid Arthritis Investigators Groups
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - Canada
TA  - J Rheumatol
JT  - The Journal of rheumatology
JID - 7501984
RN  - 0 (Antirheumatic Agents)
RN  - 0 (Isoxazoles)
RN  - 3XC8GUZ6CB (Sulfasalazine)
RN  - G162GK9U4W (Leflunomide)
RN  - YL5FZ2Y5U1 (Methotrexate)
SB  - IM
CIN - J Rheumatol. 2005 Apr;32(4):575-7. PMID: 15801008
MH  - Antirheumatic Agents/*therapeutic use
MH  - Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*drug therapy/pathology/physiopathology
MH  - Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic
MH  - Disability Evaluation
MH  - Double-Blind Method
MH  - Female
MH  - *Health Status
MH  - Humans
MH  - Isoxazoles/*therapeutic use
MH  - Leflunomide
MH  - Male
MH  - Methotrexate/*therapeutic use
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Prospective Studies
MH  - *Quality of Life
MH  - Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
MH  - Severity of Illness Index
MH  - Sulfasalazine/*therapeutic use
MH  - Surveys and Questionnaires
EDAT- 2005/04/01 09:00
MHDA- 2005/07/12 09:00
CRDT- 2005/04/01 09:00
PHST- 2005/04/01 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/07/12 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2005/04/01 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 0315162X-32-590 [pii]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Rheumatol. 2005 Apr;32(4):590-601.