REMISSION IN A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - AMERICAN RHEUMATISM ASSOCIATION PRELIMINARY REMISSION CRITERIA IN RELATION TO THE DISEASE-ACTIVITY SCORE

In a prospective follow-up study of patients with early-onset rheumato id arthritis, the prevalence of remission according to the 1981 Americ an Rheumatism Association (ARA) preliminary criteria was evaluated. A total of 227 patients with a median follow-up of 3.9 yr and a total of 2832 follow-up visits were studied. The ARA remission criteria were f ulfilled in 9.5% of these visits. The percentage of patients with at l east one visit fulfilling the ARA criteria was for years 2-6 similar t o 25%. Each year, similar to 15% of the patients were in remission for at least two consecutive visits. A comparison was made between the AR A remission criteria and the Disease Activity Score (DAS). DAS <1.6 co rresponded with being in remission according to the ARA criteria. The DAS is being proposed as a tool to define remission because absence of disease activity should be measured using the same method as for high er levels of disease activity, preferably on a continuous scale.