Biologic treatment for rheumatic disease: real-world big data analysis from the Greek country-wide prescription database.

CONCLUSIONS: In the first country-wide study that examines the characteristics of rheumatic disease patients under b-DMARD we show that their exact prevalence is 0.19%, with RA patients being older by 10 years, only slightly more numerous, and less likely to receive treatment for hypertension and dyslipidaemia than their demographically matched SpA counterparts. Longitudinal studies should assess the implications of these novel findings on the differential financial burden of rheumatic diseases, as well as on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of these patients. PMID: 28281458 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology - Category: Rheumatology Tags: Clin Exp Rheumatol Source Type: research