OBJECTIVE: While there is consensus that treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) should be started early in @entity1 with @entity625 , confirmation that radiographic progression is inhibited with early treatment start is scarce. This study was undertaken to compare radiographic progression in @entity1 treated with a DMARD very early in the course of their disease (within 3 months of diagnosis) and those who began DMARD treatment later. METHODS: @entity1 included in the French observational ESPOIR (  tude et Suivi des Polyarthrites Indiff  renci  es R  centes [Study and Followup of Early Undifferentiated @entity625 ]) cohort were followed up, and radiographic progression after 12 months was assessed. Propensity scores, reflecting the indication to start a DMARD, were obtained by modeling the start of DMARD therapy by disease-specific and demographic variables obtained at baseline, using logistic regression analysis. The influence of very early versus delayed DMARD start on radiographic progression was evaluated by generalized linear regression, with and without adjustment for propensity scores. RESULTS: Six hundred sixty-one @entity1 were analyzed. In an unadjusted analysis, @entity1 starting DMARD therapy within 3 months of diagnosis did not show a significant difference in radiographic progression score as compared to those starting DMARD therapy later (1.2 units versus 1.6 units; P = 0.37). Adjustment for the propensity score revealed a statistically significant difference in mean progression (0.8 units versus 1.7 units; P = 0.033). Analysis by propensity score quintile showed a trend suggesting that early treatment was especially beneficial for @entity1 in the fourth and fifth quintiles (worse prognosis). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that among @entity1 with @entity625 in daily clinical practice, early initiation of DMARD therapy reduces 12-month radiographic progression. This strengthens the current recommendations for very early initiation of specific therapy in @entity1 with early @entity625 .

Favorable effect of very early disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment on radiographic progression in early XXXX : Data from the   tude et Suivi des polyarthrites indiff  renci  es r  centes (study and followup of early undifferentiated @entity625 ).

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients'] @entity625 :: ('MESH:D001168', 'Disease') :: ['Polyarthritis', 'inflammatory arthritis', 'arthritis']
@entity625 :: (MESH:D001168,Disease) :: ['inflammatory arthritis']
