APLAR rheumatoid arthritis treatment recommendations

Abstract

Aims: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects approximately 1% of the world's population. There are a wide number of guidelines and recommendations available to support the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; however, the evidence used for these guidelines is predominantly based on studies in Caucasian subjects and may not be relevant for rheumatoid arthritis patients in the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology established a Steering Committee in 2013 to address this issue. Materials and methods:The AGREE II instrument and the ADAPTE Collaboration framework were applied to systematically identify, appraise, synthesize, and adapt international rheumatoid arthritis guidelines for use in the Asia-Pacific region.Results: Forty rheumatoid arthritis treatment recommendations, based on evidence and expert opinion, were drafted and are presented in this report. Conclusion: The Asia Pacific of Associations for Rheumatology rheumatoid arthritis treatment recommendations are intended to serve as a reference for best practice management of rheumatoid arthritis in Asia-Pacific, focusing on local issues to ensure the delivery of basic care for these patients, and to improve their outcomes. In addition, the document will serve as a reference for national rheumatology associations in Asia-Pacific for developing guidelines in their respective countries.

EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2016 update

“…This was the largest Task Force ever convened for the development of EULAR recommendations, both with respect to the overall number of members and the number of European countries involved, and it is also the first EULAR Task Force with a broad international representation, since rheumatologists from several other continents participated in this activity. This allowed us to also include some views from Asia, and Latin America and North America in the development of the recommendations, an input desired given the information provided in the recent publications of the updated ACR and the APLAR recommendations 17 39…”

Singapore Chapter of Rheumatologists updated consensus statement on the eligibility for government subsidization of biologic and targeted‐synthetic therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

“…In summary, the CWG reviewed guidelines published from the following: German Society of Rheumatology, Canadian Rheumatology Association, British Society of Rheumatology/ British Health Professionals for Rheumatology (BSR/ BHPR), NICE, Mexican College of Rheumatology, Thai Rheumatism Association, Asia‐Pacific League against Rheumatism (APLAR), Spanish Society of Rheumatology, ACR, EULAR and Australia's Medicare . Recommendations are summarized in Table .…”

Tuberculosis and biologics in rheumatology: A special situation

“…Hence, this high‐risk population needs to be screened and administered appropriate therapy to reduce the risk of TB flare before starting bDMARD therapy. The current rheumatology guidelines from various international societies, namely: (i) American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2015; (ii) Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR) 2015 for RA; (iii) British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) guidelines for AS; (iv) British Society for Rheumatology and British Health Professionals in Rheumatology (BSR‐BHPR) guidelines for psoriatic arthritis; and (v) the Australian Rheumatology Association, all emphasize the need to screen patients for TB and other infections before bDMARDs are administered …”