Table 2.
DMARDs and oral glucocorticoid use among subjects with rheumatoid arthritis in the MCBS, 2001 to 2006
| 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of patients | 291 | 334 | 316 | 244 | 148 | 70 |
| Any DMARDS | 82 (28%) | 83 (25%) | 85 (27%) | 88 (36%) | 55(37%) | 25 (36%) |
| Non-biologic DMARD | 80 (27%) | 82 (25%) | 80 (25%) | 85 (35%) | 51 (35%) | 22 (31%) |
| Methotrexate | 49 (17%) | 47 (14%) | 42 (13%) | 50 (20%) | 31 (21%) | 12 (17%) |
| Sulfasalazine | 8 (3%) | 5 (2%) | 7 (2%) | 5 (2%) | 1 (0.5%) | 1 (0.5%) |
| Hydroxychloroquine | 25 (9%) | 29 (9%) | 29 (9%) | 27 (11%) | 15 (10%) | 9 (13%) |
| Azathioprine | 5 (2%) | 3 (1%) | 2 (1%) | 3 (1%) | 2 (1%) | 0 (0%) |
| Leflunomide | 6 (2%) | 11 (3%) | 12 (4%) | 13 (5%) | 8 (5%) | 2 (3%) |
| Gold | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.3%) | 2 (0.6%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1.4%) |
| Others | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.4%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Biologic DMARD, any | 6 (2%) | 5 (2%) | 11 (3%) | 10 (4%) | 14 (9%) | 5 (7%) |
| Etanercept | 3 (1%) | 4 (1%) | 8 (3%) | 5 (2%) | 6 (4%) | 3 (4%) |
| Adalimumab | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (1%) | 3 (1%) | 7 (5%) | 2 (3%) |
| Infliximab | 3 (1%) | 1 (0.3%) | 1 (0.3%) | 2 (0.8%) | 1 (07%) | 0 (0%) |
| Anakinra | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.3%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Oral steroid use, any | 89 (31%) | 94 (28%) | 97 (31%) | 82 (34%) | 54(36%) | 26 (37%) |
| Oral steroid use, only | 50 (17%) | 60 (18%) | 60 (21%) | 50 (18%) | 41 (28%) | 20 (29%) |
Results are presented as number (%) of patients. Percentages are based on the number for a given year. They do not add up to 100% because the rows are not mutually exclusive categories. The sample size is greater than 509 because respondents were included in all years after they met the rheumatoid arthritis definition. However, the sample size decreased over time because of the requirement for at least 12 months of follow-up after a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. DMARD, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug; MCBS, Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.