Socioeconomic status shapes treatment timing and duration in arthritis patients

An extensive study conducted by the European Spondyloarthritis Research Collaboration Network (EuroSpA) has discovered that a patient's socioeconomic background significantly impacts the timing and duration of their arthritis treatment. Published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the research examined 38,911 patients from 13 European countries who began advanced biologics or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) treatment between 2015 and 2021.

The findings indicate that individuals residing in wealthier European nations tend to commence biologic therapy sooner, yet also discontinue or switch treatments earlier than their counterparts in middle- and low-income countries. Additionally, patients from affluent countries experienced lower disease activity at the beginning of treatment compared to those from less economically developed nations.

The lead investigator, Dr. Brigitte Michelsen, emphasizes that this research broadens the scope beyond individual patient factors and explores the impact of country-level socioeconomic conditions on treatment outcomes. This finding underscores the importance of equitable access to effective treatment for patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) while promoting the appropriate and equitable use of advanced therapies.

The study's conclusions are particularly pertinent as health systems worldwide are increasingly focused on equitable access, cost-effectiveness, and reducing discrepancies in care across countries.