| 51. |
- Hallert, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison between women and men with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis of disease activity and functional ability over two years (the TIRA project)
- 2003
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Ingår i: Annals of the rheumatic diseases. - 0003-4967. ; 62, s. 667-670
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To describe the course of recent onset rheumatoidarthritis (RA) and to compare consequences of the disease inmen and women.Methods: 284 patients with recent onset RA were followed upprospectively for two years from the time of diagnosis. Measuresof disease activity (for example, 28 joint disease activityscore (DAS28), C reactive protein, morning stiffness, physician’sglobal assessment) and function outcome (for example, rangeof movement, hand function, walking time) were determined. Thepatients’ self reported assessment of functional capacity(Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)) and grading of wellbeingand pain (visual analogue scale) were registered. Changes overtime and differences between men and women were evaluated.Results: Improvements were seen for all variables within thefirst three months. Disease activity then remained unchanged.Function variables followed the same pattern during the firstyear, but then tended to worsen. HAQ scores were similar atbaseline, but significantly worse in women than in men at theone and two year follow ups.Conclusions: Disease activity was well managed and had improvedsubstantially after two years, whereas function seemed slowlyto deteriorate. Although disease variables were similar formen and women, functional ability (HAQ) had a less favourablecourse in women.
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| 52. |
- Hallert, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Costs and course of disease and function in early rheumatoid arthritis: a 3-year follow-up (the Swedish TIRA project)
- 2006
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Ingår i: Rheumatology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1462-0324 .- 1462-0332. ; 45:3, s. 325-331
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. To calculate direct and indirect costs and to studydisease activity and functional ability over 3 yr in early rheumatoidarthritis (RA).Methods. Three hundred and three patients with early (≤1 yr)RA were recruited during a period of 27 months (1996–1998).Data were recorded during 3 yr to assess disease activity, functionalability, medication, health-care utilization and days lost fromwork.Results. Within 3 months, improvements were seen regarding allrecorded variables assessing disease activity and functionalability, but 15% had sustained high or moderate disease activitythroughout the study period. Indirect costs exceeded directcosts in all 3 yr. The average direct costs were € 3704 (US$3297) in year 1 and € 2652 (US$ 2360) in year 3. All costs decreased,except those for medication and surgery. Compared with men,women had more ambulatory care visits and used more complementarymedicine. The indirect costs were € 8871 (US$ 7895) in year 1and remained essentially unchanged; this was similar for bothsexes. Almost 50% were on sick leave or early retirement atinclusion. Sick leave decreased but was offset by an increasein early retirement. The 14 patients who eventually receivedTNF inhibitors incurred higher costs even before prescriptionof anti-TNF therapy.Conclusion. Disease activity and functional ability improvedwithin 3 months after diagnosis of early RA. Direct costs decreased,except for medication and surgery. Indirect costs remained unchanged.Fifteen per cent of the patients had high or moderate diseaseactivity in all 3 yr, indicating a need for more aggressiveearly anti-rheumatic therapy.
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| 53. |
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| 56. |
- Hallert, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Disease activity and disability in women and men with early rheumatoid arthritis : An 8-year follow-up of the Swedish TIRA project
- 2012
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Ingår i: Arthritis Care and Research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0893-7524 .- 1529-0123 .- 2151-464X. ; 64:8, s. 1101-1107
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To compare women and men regarding course of disease activity and disability over 8 years from diagnosis of recent onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 149 patients were followed for 8 years from RA diagnosis (1996-98) regarding 28-joint count disease activity score (DAS28), pain (visual analogue scale, VAS), grip force, Grip Ability Test (GAT), Signals of Functional Impairment (SOFI hand, upper/lower extremity), walking speed, activity limitation (Health Assessment Questionnaire, HAQ) and prescribed disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). RESULTS: Disease activity pattern over time was similar in women and men, showing improvement during the first year and thereafter a stable situation during 6 years. However, at the 7- and 8-year follow-ups deterioration was seen with a less favourable course in women. HAQ did not differ between sexes at diagnosis, but at all follow-ups women had significantly higher scores than men. Women also had lower grip force and lower walking speed, but higher upper extremity mobility. DMARD prescription was similar for both sexes. Over eight years, disease duration, sex, biologics, grip force, SOFI-hand and pain intensity together explained 43% of the variation in DAS, while grip force, SOFI-lower, GAT and pain intensity could together explain 55% of variations in HAQ. CONCLUSIONS: Disease activity was fairly well managed, but disability gradually deteriorated. Despite similar medication, women had more disability than men. The discrepancy between disease activity and disability indicates unmet needs for multi-professional interventions to prevent progressing disability and patients at risk for disability need to be identified early in the process. © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.
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| 57. |
- Hallert, Eva, 1947-
(författare)
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Disease activity, function and costs in early rheumatoid arthritis
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major cause of progressive joint damage and disability, and is associated with decline in quality of life, reduced ability to work and increased health care utilisation. The economic consequences of the disease are substantial for the individuals and their families and for the society as a whole. This thesis describes a 5-year follow up of 320 patients with early RA, enrolled between January 1996 and April 1998 in the Swedish multi-centre inception cohort TIRA (early interventions in rheumatoid arthritis). Health status, function and costs were investigated. Predictors of high costs were calculated, and an algorithm was constructed to predict future need for TNFinhibitor treatment in patients not responding to traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Clinical and laboratory data, measures of functional capacity and self-reported assessments were collected regularly. In addition, patients completed biannual/annual questionnaires concerning all health care utilisation and days lost from work due to the disease. Within 3 months, improvements were seen regarding all variables assessing disease activity and functional ability, but 15% of the patients had sustained high or moderate disease activity throughout the study period. The scores of ‘health assessment questionnaire’ (HAQ) were similar for men and women at baseline, but had a less favourable course in women, who also had DMARDs more frequently prescribed.Ambulatory care accounted for 76% of the direct costs during the first year. Women had more ambulatory care visits and higher usage of complementary medicine compared to men. Men ≥65 years had low costs compared to younger men and compared to women of all ages. In multiple logistic regression tests, HAQ, high levels of IgM-class rheumatoid factor (RF), and poor hand function increased the odds of incurring high direct costs. Poor hand function and pain increased the odds of incurring high indirect costs.Indirect costs exceeded direct costs all three years. The average direct costs were €3,704 (US$ 3,297) year 1 and €2,652 (US$ 2,360) year 3. All costs decreased over the years, except those for medication and surgery. The indirect costs were €8,871 (US$ 7,895) year 1 and remained essentially unchanged, similarly for both sexes. More than 50% were on sick leave or early retirement at inclusion. Sick leave decreased but was offset by increase in early retirement. 14 patients (5%) were prescribed TNF-inhibitors at the 3- year follow up, thus increasing drug costs substantially. However, they incurred higher costs even before prescription of anti-TNF therapy.At the 5-year follow-up (2001-2003), 31 patients (12%) were prescribed TNFinhibitors. Baseline values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, anti-CCP antibodies and morning stiffness were significantly higher in this group. These patients were also to a larger extent RF-positive and carriers of the ‘shared epitope’ (SE). Anti-TNF treated patients were significantly younger and more often women. For men, a predictive model was constructed using baseline data including SE+ and IgA-RF >100 U/L and anti-CCP >240 U/L yielding a specificity of 98% and a sensitivity of 71%. For women, disease activity score (DAS28) at the 3-month follow-up proved to be a better predictor, and the final model comprised SE+ and 3-month DAS28>5.2, giving a specificity of 95% and a sensitivity of 59%.
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| 58. |
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| 59. |
- Hallert, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Early rheumatoid arthritis 6 years after diagnosis is still associated with high direct costs and increasing loss of productivity : the Swedish TIRA project
- 2014
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. - : Informa Healthcare. - 0300-9742 .- 1502-7732. ; 43:3, s. 177-183
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To calculate total costs over 6 years after diagnosis of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Method: In the longitudinal prospective multicentre TIRA study, 239 patients from seven units, diagnosed in 1996–98, reported regularly on health-care utilization and the number of days lost from work. Costs were obtained from official databases and calculated using unit costs (Swedish kronor, SEK) from 2001. Indirect costs were calculated using the human capital approach (HCA). Costs were inflation adjusted to Euro June 2012, using the Swedish Consumer Price Index and the exchange rate of June 2012. Statistical analyses were based on linear mixed models (LMMs) for changes over time.Results: The mean total cost per patient was EUR 14 768 in year 1, increasing to EUR 18 438 in year 6. Outpatient visits and hospitalization decreased but costs for surgery increased from EUR 92/patient in year 1 to EUR 444/patient in year 6. Drug costs increased from EUR 429/patient to EUR 2214/patient, mainly because of the introduction of biologics. In year 1, drugs made up for 10% of direct costs, and increased to 49% in year 6. Sick leave decreased during the first years but disability pensions increased, resulting in unchanged indirect costs. Over the following years, disability pensions increased further and indirect costs increased from EUR 10 284 in year 1 to EUR 13 874 in year 6. LMM analyses showed that indirect costs were unchanged whereas direct costs, after an initial fall, increased over the following years, leading to increasing total costs.Conclusions: In the 6 years after diagnosis of early RA, drug costs were partially offset by decreasing outpatient visits but indirect costs remained unchanged and total costs increased.
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