Table 2 DMARDs and oral glucocorticoid use among subjects with rheumatoid arthritis in the MCBS, 2001 to 2006
From: Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey
| Â | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of patients | 291 | 334 | 316 | 244 | 148 | 70 |
Any DMARDS | 82 (28%) | 83 (25%) | 85 (27%) | 88 (36%) | 55(37%) | 25 (36%) |
Non-biologic DMARD | 80 (27%) | 82 (25%) | 80 (25%) | 85 (35%) | 51 (35%) | 22 (31%) |
   Methotrexate | 49 (17%) | 47 (14%) | 42 (13%) | 50 (20%) | 31 (21%) | 12 (17%) |
   Sulfasalazine | 8 (3%) | 5 (2%) | 7 (2%) | 5 (2%) | 1 (0.5%) | 1 (0.5%) |
   Hydroxychloroquine | 25 (9%) | 29 (9%) | 29 (9%) | 27 (11%) | 15 (10%) | 9 (13%) |
   Azathioprine | 5 (2%) | 3 (1%) | 2 (1%) | 3 (1%) | 2 (1%) | 0 (0%) |
   Leflunomide | 6 (2%) | 11 (3%) | 12 (4%) | 13 (5%) | 8 (5%) | 2 (3%) |
   Gold | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.3%) | 2 (0.6%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1.4%) |
   Others | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.4%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
Biologic DMARD, any | 6 (2%) | 5 (2%) | 11 (3%) | 10 (4%) | 14 (9%) | 5 (7%) |
   Etanercept | 3 (1%) | 4 (1%) | 8 (3%) | 5 (2%) | 6 (4%) | 3 (4%) |
   Adalimumab | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (1%) | 3 (1%) | 7 (5%) | 2 (3%) |
   Infliximab | 3 (1%) | 1 (0.3%) | 1 (0.3%) | 2 (0.8%) | 1 (07%) | 0 (0%) |
   Anakinra | 0 (0%) | 1 (0.3%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
Oral steroid use, any | 89 (31%) | 94 (28%) | 97 (31%) | 82 (34%) | 54(36%) | 26 (37%) |
Oral steroid use, only | 50 (17%) | 60 (18%) | 60 (21%) | 50 (18%) | 41 (28%) | 20 (29%) |