OP0150 Comparison between patients included in the BARFOT study 1992-1999 and 2000-2006 - a five year follow-up

Background Treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have changed over the last decades. InSwedenthe recommendation in the 1990s was initial DMARD monotherapy and early use of low-dose glucocorticoid, and “step-up” combination therapy reserved for more severe disease. In 2000 that strategy was changed to possibility to initiate treatment with biologics when the first DMARD or combination of DMARDs failed. Objectives To compare patient and disease characteristics over the first 5 years of disease in a large inception cohort of early RA patients, included 1992 to 1999 and 2000 to 2006, respectively Methods In all 2544 RA patients were recruited from the BARFOT prospective multicenter observational study. They had at inclusion a disease duration of ≤12 months. The patients were divided into two groups, group 1 (N=1256, 66% women) included 1992 to 1999 and group 2 (N=1288, 68% women) included 2000 to 2006. Disease Activity Score (DAS28), VAS pain and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) were assessed at inclusion, 3, 6 months and 1, 2 and 5 years. Remission was defined as DAS28