Three-month tapering and discontinuation of long- term, low-dose glucocorticoids in senior patients with rheumatoid arthritis is feasible and safe: placebo-controlled double blind tapering after the GLORIA trial.

Objective: The randomised placebo-controlled GLORIA (Glucocorticoid LOw-dose in RheumatoId Arthritis) trial evaluated the benefits and harms of prednisolone 5 mg/day added to standard care for 2 years in patients aged 65+ years with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here, we studied disease activity, flares and possible adrenal insufficiency after blinded withdrawal of study medication.

Methods: Per protocol, patients successfully completing the 2-year trial period linearly tapered and stopped blinded study medication in 3 months.

Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of add-on, low-dose prednisolone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged 65+: The pragmatic, multicenter, placebo-controlled GLORIA trial.

Background: The GLORIA placebo-controlled trial found a favorable balance of benefit and harm for two years of prednisolone (5 mg/day) as add-on treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients aged 65+. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of low-dose prednisolone in the treatment of RA.

Methods: The economic evaluation had a societal perspective with a time horizon of two years.

Development of prediction models to select older RA patients with comorbidities for treatment with chronic low-dose glucocorticoids.

Objective: To develop prediction models for individual patient harm and benefit outcomes in elderly patients with RA and comorbidities treated with chronic low-dose glucocorticoid therapy or placebo.

Methods: In the Glucocorticoid Low-dose Outcome in Rheumatoid Arthritis (GLORIA) study, 451 RA patients ≥65 years of age were randomized to 2 years 5 mg/day prednisolone or placebo. Eight prediction models were developed from the dataset in a stepwise procedure based on prior knowledge.

Low dose, add-on prednisolone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged 65+: the pragmatic randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled GLORIA trial.

Background: Low-dose glucocorticoid (GC) therapy is widely used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but the balance of benefit and harm is still unclear.

Methods: The GLORIA (Glucocorticoid LOw-dose in RheumatoId Arthritis) pragmatic double-blind randomised trial compared 2 years of prednisolone, 5 mg/day, to placebo in patients aged 65+ with active RA. We allowed all cotreatments except long-term open label GC and minimised exclusion criteria, tailored to seniors.

Validity of the rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease (RAID) score and definition of cut-off points for disease activity states in a population-based European cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To assess the validity of the rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease (RAID) for measuring disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine cut-off values for defining the disease activity states.

Methods: A total of 622 RA patients from an European database have been included. Cross-validation was based on assessment of convergent and discriminant validity.