Long-term mortality in treated-to-target RA and UA: results of the BeSt and IMPROVED cohort.

Objectives: To study long-term (up to 20-year) mortality of two treat-to-target trial cohorts in undifferentiated arthritis (UA) and early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: The BeSt (BehandelStrategieën) study (n=508, early RA) was performed between 2000 and 2012. For 10 years, patients were treated-to-target disease activity score (DAS)≤2.

Tapering of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: an overview for daily practice.

In this Review, we discuss the possibility of drug tapering in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in remission or low disease activity, for glucocorticoids and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. We review international guidelines and recommendations, as well as remaining uncertainties, and provide an overview of the current literature. Three strategies of tapering are discussed: (1) tapering by discontinuation of one of the drugs in combination therapy regimens, (2) tapering by reducing the dose of one of the drugs in combination therapy regimens, and (3) tapering by dose reduction of monotherapy with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Glucocorticoid discontinuation in patients with early rheumatoid and undifferentiated arthritis: a post-hoc analysis of the BeSt and IMPROVED studies.

Objectives: To evaluate the success rate of glucocorticoid discontinuation and to study which factors are associated with successful discontinuation.

Methods: Data from two treat-to-target studies, BeSt (target Disease Activity Score (DAS) ≤2.4) and IMPROVED (target DAS <1.