1. Impact of GCs treatment on imaging outcomes in patients with RA An analysis of data from 15 clinical trials eligible for enrollment in this study showed that, in patients with RA, treatment regimens combining GCs with DMARDs (usually MTX) significantly improved patient imaging outcomes. However, not all findings are consistent with this view.
Among the 55 retrospective studies that met the screening criteria, most of them showed that low-dose GC treatment was more effective than placebo treatment, and the former significantly improved the prognostic indicators of RA patients, including the American College of Rheumatology efficacy criteria (ACR efficacy criteria), Health Assessment Questionnaire scores (HAQ scores), and the number of painful joints. scores), number of painful and swollen joints, and disease activity score (DAS).
Similarly, the results for low-dose GCs combined with DMARDs were similar to those for DMARDs alone. However, it is important to note that not all studies have concluded that patients with RA benefit from low-dose GC therapy.
The impact of GCs on clinical outcomes: GC-related adverse reactions in patients with safe RA are numerous, and the occurrence of these reactions is significantly associated with the daily dose and duration of treatment. The clinical trials included in this review showed that some of the adverse reactions that occurred with high doses of GCs also occurred with low doses. Application of low-dose GCs can lead to weight gain, hyperglycemia, hypertension, decreased bone mineral density, increased risk of fracture, cognitive impairment, increased risk of infection, and the development of cataracts.