Table 1 Characteristics of the four extensively reviewed rheumatoid arthritis trials using ⩽10 mg prednisone daily.
| Study | ARC study | LDPT study | Utrecht study | WOSERACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year of first publication | 1995 | 2000 | 2002 | 2004 |
| Reference | 1, 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| RA duration at entry (years) | <2 | <2 | <1 | Median 1 |
| Number of patients, prednisolone group | 61 | 34 | 40 | 84 |
| Prednisolone dose/day (mg) | 7.5 | 5 | 10 | 7 |
| Duration of trial (years) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Associated DMARDs | Various | IM gold or MTX | Sulfasalazine rescue | Sulfasalazine |
DMARDs, disease modifying antirheumatic drugs; IM, intramuscular; MTX, methotrexate.