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Observational studies of patients with rheumatoid arthritis have suggested that racial and ethnic disparities exist for minority populations. We compared disease activity and clinical outcomes across racial and ethnic groups using data from a large, contemporary US registry.We analyzed data from 2 time periods (2005-2007 and 2010-2012). The Clinical Disease Activity Index was examined as both a continuous measure and a dichotomous measure of disease activity states. Outcomes were compared in a series of cross-sectional and longitudinal multivariable regression models.For 2005-2007, significant differences of mean disease activity level (P.001) were observed across racial and ethnic groups. Over the 5-year period, modest improvements in disease activity were observed across all groups, including whites (3.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-4.1) compared with African Americans (4.3; 95% CI, 2.7-5.8) and Hispanics (2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-4.3). For 2010-2012, significant differences of mean disease activity level persisted (P.046) across racial and ethnic groups, ranging from 11.6 (95% CI, 10.4-12.8) in Hispanics to 10.7 (95% CI, 9.6-11.7) in whites. Remission rates remained significantly different across racial/ethnic groups across all models for 2010-2012, ranging from 22.7 (95% CI, 19.5-25.8) in African Americans to 27.4 (95% CI, 24.9-29.8) in whites.Despite improvements in disease activity across racial and ethnic groups over a 5-year period, disparities persist in disease activity and clinical outcomes for minority groups versus white patients.

Purpose We examined the preventability of adverse warfarin-related events and potential adverse warfarin-related events ("near misses") in the nursing home setting. Methods We performed a cohort study of all long-term care residents of 25 nursing homes (bed size range, 90-360) in Connecticut during a 12-month observation period. The total number of residents in these facilities ranged from 2946 to 3212 per quarter. There were 490 residents who received warfarin therapy. Possible warfarin-related incidents were detected by quarterly retrospective review of nursing home records by trained nurse abstractors. Each incident was independently classified by 2 physician-reviewers to determine whether it constituted a warfarin-related event, its severity, and its preventability. The primary outcome was an adverse warfarin-related event, defined as an injury associated with the use of warfarin. Potential adverse warfarin-related events were defined as situations in which the international normalized ratio (INR) was noted to be 4.5 or greater, an error in management was noted, but no injury occurred. We also assessed time in specified INR ranges per nursing home resident day on warfarin. Results Over the 12-month observation period, 720 adverse warfarin-related events and 253 potential adverse warfarin-related events were identified. Of the adverse warfarin-related events, 625 (87%) were characterized as minor, 82 (11%) were deemed serious, and 13 (2%) were life-threatening or fatal. Overall, 29% of the adverse warfarin-related events were judged to be preventable. Serious, life-threatening, or fatal events occurred at a rate of 2.49 per 100 resident-months; 57% of these more severe events were considered preventable. Errors resulting in preventable events occurred most often at the prescribing and monitoring stages of warfarin management. The percentages of time in the less than 2, 2 to 3, and more than 3 INR ranges were 36.5%, 49.6%, and 13.9%, respectively. Conclusions The use of warfarin in the nursing home setting presents substantial safety concerns for patients. Adverse events associated with warfarin therapy are common and often preventable in the nursing home setting. Prevention strategies should target the prescribing and monitoring stages of warfarin management.

Purpose To assess the incidence of and risk factors for adverse drug events in the long-term care setting. Methods We performed a cohort study of all long-stay residents of two academic long-term care facilities over a period of up to 9 months during 2000 to 2001. We assessed the number of adverse drug events, the severity of events (classified as less serious, serious, life threatening, or fatal), and whether the events were preventable. A case-control study was nested within the prospective study to identify resident-level risk factors for the occurrence of adverse drug events. Results There were 815 adverse drug events, of which 42% were judged preventable. The overall rate of adverse drug events was 9.8 per 100 resident-months, with a rate of 4.1 preventable adverse drug events per 100 resident-months. Errors associated with preventable events occurred most often at the stages of ordering and monitoring. Residents taking medications in several drug categories were at increased risk of a preventable adverse event. In multivariate analyses, the adjusted odds ratio was 3.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0 to 5.9) for those taking antipsychotic agents, 2.8 (95% CI: 1.6 to 4.7) for those taking anticoagulants, 2.2 (95% CI: 1.2 to 4.0) for those taking diuretics, and 2.0 (95% CI: 1.1 to 3.7) for those taking antiepileptics. Conclusion Our findings reinforce the need for a special focus on the ordering and monitoring stages of pharmaceutical care for preventing adverse drug events in the long-term care setting. Patients taking antipsychotic agents, anticoagulants, diuretics, and antiepileptics are at increased risk.

Objective The study objective was to quantify the association between daily physical activity measured by accelerometer and 1-year changes in symptoms among people with knee osteoarthritis. Methods Participants from the Osteoarthritis Initiative had knee radiographs and physical activity assessed using GT1M ActiGraph (Pensacola, FL) uniaxial accelerometers at the 48-month visit. Physical activity was calculated and categorized as tertiles of average daily minutes in light and moderate-to-vigorous activity. Outcomes were 1-year change in symptoms measured by Western Ontario and McMaster Universities scales, including pain, stiffness, and physical function. Adjusted multivariable linear models estimated the relationship between tertiles of light or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and changes in knee symptoms. Results Among 1059 participants (55% were women; mean age, 66 ± 9 years), greater time in light activity was associated with a trend toward declined physical function ( P = .01). Greater time in daily moderate-to-vigorous activity also was associated with declined physical function ( P = .01) and increased pain ( P = .08). None of these average changes in symptoms reached minimally important clinical differences. However, greater daily time in both activities was associated with a higher probability of worsening symptoms among persons with Kellgren–Lawrence grade 4 osteoarthritis. Conclusions Objectively measured daily activity was not associated with 1-year symptom improvements among community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis. In those with advanced disease (Kellgren–Lawrence grade 4), greater daily minutes in physical activity were associated with worsening symptoms. How best to implement exercise regimens in persons with advanced knee osteoarthritis to reduce the deleterious impact on symptoms needs to be explored.

To identify gaps in therapy with urate-lowering drugs for the treatment of gout as well as factors associated with resuming therapy.From 2 integrated delivery systems, we identified patients 18 years or older with a diagnosis of gout who initiated use of a urate-lowering drug from January 1, 2000 through June 30, 2006 and who had a gap in therapy. A gap was defined as a period of over 60 days after the completion of 1 prescription in which no refill for a urate-lowering drug was obtained. Survival curves were used to assess return to therapy of urate-lowering drugs. Cox proportional hazards analysis estimated the association between covariates and return to therapy.There were 4166 new users of urate-lowering drugs (97% received allopurinol), of whom 2929 (70%) had a gap in therapy. Among those with a gap, in 75% it occurred in the first year of therapy. Fifty percent of patients with a gap returned to therapy within 8 months, and by 4 years it was 75%. Age 45-74 years (45 referent) and greater duration of urate-lowering drug use before the gap was associated with resuming treatment within 1 year. In contrast, receipt of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids in the year before the gap was associated with a reduced likelihood of resuming therapy.The majority of gout patients with gaps in urate-lowering drug use returned to treatment. More investigation is needed to better understand why patients may go for months without refilling prescriptions, given the clinical consequences of nonadherence.

Background Elevated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α likely contributes to the excess cardiovascular risk observed in rheumatoid arthritis. We compared the cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients starting a TNF-α blocking agent versus a nonbiologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (nbDMARD). Methods Subjects with rheumatoid arthritis participating in several different US insurance programs between 1998 and 2007 who received methotrexate were eligible. Those who added a TNF-α blocking agent were compared with subjects who added a nbDMARD in Cox regression models stratified by propensity score decile and adjusted for oral glucocorticoid dosage. We examined the composite cardiovascular end point of myocardial infarction, stroke, or coronary re-vascularization after 6 months. Results We compared 8656 new users of a nbDMARD with 11,587 new users of a TNF-α blocking agent with similar baseline covariates. Incidence rates per 100 person-years for the composite cardiovascular end point were 3.05 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.54-3.65) for nbDMARDs and 2.52 (95% CI, 2.12-2.98) for TNF-α blocking agents. The hazard ratio (HR) for the TNF-α blocking agent compared with nbDMARD carrying the first exposure forward was 0.80 (95%, CI 0.62-1.04), while the HR for the as-treated analysis was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.52-0.97). The potential cardiovascular benefit of TNF-α blocking agents was strongest among individuals ≥65 years of age (HR 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34 -0.77; P for interaction = 0.075). Conclusion Among subjects with rheumatoid arthritis, TNF-α blocking agents may be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events compared with an nbDMARD. Randomized controlled clinical trials should be considered to test this hypothesis.

Background We sought to examine how expansions in insurance coverage of nonbiologic and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs affected the access, costs, and health status of older patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods We identified a nationally representative sample of older adults with rheumatoid arthritis in the 2000-2006 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (unweighted n=1051). We examined changes in disease-modifying antirheumatic drug use, self-reported health status, functional status (activities of daily living), and total costs and out-of-pocket costs for medical care and prescription drugs. Tests for time trends were conducted using weighted regressions. Results Between 2000 and 2006, the proportion of older adults with rheumatoid arthritis who received biologics tripled (4.6% vs 13.2%, P=. 01), whereas the proportion of people who used a nonbiologic did not change. During the same period, the proportion of older patients with rheumatoid arthritis rating their health as excellent/good significantly increased (43.0% in 2000 to 55.6% in 2006; P=. 015). Significant improvements occurred in activities of daily living measures of functional status. Total prescription drug costs (in 2006 US dollars) increased from $2645 in 2000 to $4685 in 2006, P=. 0001, whereas out-of-pocket prescription costs remained constant ($842 in 2000 vs $832 in 2006; P=. 68). Total medical costs did not significantly increase ($16,563 in 2000 vs $19,510 in 2006; P=. 07). Conclusion Receipt of biologics in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis increased over a period of time when insurance coverage was expanded without increasing patients' out-of-pocket costs. During this time period, concurrent improvements in self-reported health status and functional status suggest improved arthritis care.