OBJECTIVE: Impact of osteoarthritis (OA) on the initial treatment response of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by treat to target (T2T) practice was compared between the patients with an onset age ≥65 years old (late-onset RA [LORA]) and those with an onset age <65 years old (young-onset RA [YORA]).
METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on the patients with RA, who were referred to our clinic without treatment between January 2021 and July 2022. Patients with grade ≥3 OA according to the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) classification either in the knee or hand were classified in the OA(+) group and others were in the OA(-) group. The clinical data were compared at the diagnosis and one year after the initial treatment between the groups for 74 LORA and 59 YORA patients, respectively.
RESULTS: One year after starting treatment in the LORA patients, the OA(+) group had poorer disease activity control and greater disability in the several activities of daily living (ADL) than the OA(-) group. In the YORA patients, there were no differences in ADL disability between the groups.
CONCLUSIONS: In the initial treatment of the LORA patients, the prevalence of OA was high, and impact of OA on LORA was larger than on YORA.

Objectives We investigated the current perspectives regarding the management of late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (LORA) among rheumatologists in clinical practice. Methods This study was performed in October 2021, and included 65 rheumatologists certified by the Japan College of Rheumatology, who were administered questionnaires (including multiple choice and descriptive formulae) regarding the management of LORA. We aggregated and analyzed the responses. Results All 65 rheumatologists responded to the survey; 47 (72%) answered that >50% of newly diagnosed patients were aged ≥65 years, 42 (65%) answered that achievement of remission or low disease activity was the treatment goal, and 40 (62%) considered patient safety to be the highest priority. Most rheumatologists are concerned about the management of conditions other than RA, such as comorbidities, financial constraints, and life circumstances that interfere with standard or recommended treatment implementation. Conclusion This preliminary survey highlighted various rheumatologists\' perspectives regarding the management of LORA.

UNASSIGNED: To identify differences in effectiveness and safety of a treat-to-target (T2T) strategy comparing late-onset MTX-naïve RA patients (LORA) ≥75 or <75 years of age.
UNASSIGNED: Treatment was adjusted to target low disease activity with conventional synthetic DMARDs followed by biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) in LORA ≥75 years (n = 98, mean age 80.0 years) and LORA <75 years (n = 99) with moderate-high disease activity. Achievement of Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) remission at week 156 by non-responder imputation analysis was evaluated as a primary outcome.
UNASSIGNED: LORA ≥75 years had more comorbidities than LORA <75 years, but SDAI and ACPA positivity were similar at baseline. Of the LORA ≥75 years, 70.4% started MTX and 34.1% and 37.1% received a bDMARD at week 52 and 156, respectively (very similar to the LORA <75 years). Glucocorticoid use was more frequent in the LORA ≥75 years than in the LORA <75 years. Comorbidities/adverse events more frequently contributed to the reasons for non-adherence to T2T in the LORA ≥75 than in the LORA <75. At week 156, 32.7% of the LORA ≥75 and 66.7% of the LORA <75 achieved SDAI remission (P < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs) over 156 weeks was 42.8% in the LORA ≥75 and 22.1% in the LORA <75. Multivariable analysis indicated an increased risk of SDAI non-remission at week 156 in the LORA ≥75 [odds ratio 2.82 (95% CI 1.29. 6.14)] after adjusting for comorbidities at baseline, non-adherence to T2T and SAEs.
UNASSIGNED: It was more difficult to achieve remission in the LORA ≥75 patients than in the LORA <75 patients due to both poor treatment response and safety issues.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate trends in the treatment of patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (LORA) using data from the National Database of Rheumatic Diseases in Japan (NinJa).
METHODS: Patients registered in the NinJa were classified according to disease onset: at <65 years (young-onset rheumatoid arthritis [YORA]); at 65-74 years (early LORA); and at ≥75 years (late LORA). Chronological changes in the treatment and disease activity were compared.
RESULTS: A total of 7,178, 13,171, 15,295, and 15,943 patients were evaluated in 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, respectively. In all groups, the use of methotrexate gradually decreased, whereas that of biological/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) increased; the use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) decreased, whereas that of non-TNFi increased. LORA was characterized by more single DMARD use, and less methotrexate and biological/targeted synthetic DMARD use. TNFi and interleukin-6 inhibitors were used less frequently, whereas abatacept was utilized more frequently in late versus early LORA. Conventional synthetic DMARD (excluding methotrexate) and glucocorticoid use was higher in late versus early LORA.
CONCLUSIONS: This analysis revealed chronological changes in the treatment of LORA in Japan. Differences between early and late LORA suggest that patients are not a homogeneous population.

UNASSIGNED: To describe the characteristics of patients between late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (LORA) with young-onset (YORA), and analyze their association with cumulative inflammatory burden.
UNASSIGNED: We performed a nested cohort study in a prospective cohort comprising 110 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 110 age- and sex-matched controls. The main variable was cumulative inflammatory activity according to the 28-joint Disease Activity Score with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR). High activity was defined as DAS28 ≥ 3.2 and low activity as DAS28 < 3.2. The other variables recorded were inflammatory cytokines, physical function, and comorbid conditions. Two multivariate models were run to identify factors associated with cumulative inflammatory activity.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 22/110 patients (20%) met the criteria for LORA (≥ 60 years). Patients with LORA more frequently had comorbid conditions than patients with YORA and controls. Compared with YORA patients, more LORA patients had cumulative high inflammatory activity from onset [13 (59%) vs. 28 (31%); p = 0.018] and high values for CRP (p = 0.039) and IL-6 (p = 0.045). Cumulative high inflammatory activity in patients with RA was associated with LORA [OR (95% CI) 4.69 (1.49-10.71); p = 0.008], smoking [OR (95% CI) 2.07 (1.13-3.78); p = 0.017], anti-citrullinated peptide antibody [OR (95% CI) 3.24 (1.15-9.13); p = 0.025], average Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score [OR (95% CI) 2.09 (1.03-14.23); p = 0.034], and physical activity [OR (95% CI) 0.99 (0.99-0.99); p = 0.010]. The second model revealed similar associations with inflammatory activity in patients with LORA.
UNASSIGNED: Control of inflammation after diagnosis is poorer and comorbidity more frequent in patients with LORA than in YORA patients and healthy controls.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic inflammatory rheumatism in adults. The objective of our study was to analyze the clinical, biological and therapeutic characteristics in subjects over 60 years old.
We performed a retrospective, monocentric, descriptive study on medical records consultations. The data collection concerned subjects over 60 years of age who had been diagnosed with \"rheumatoid arthritis\" in the rheumatology and internal medicine departments of CHU Reims over a period stretching from 2010 to 2015.
Thirty-two patients were included in our study for this period. The mean age of diagnosis was 66.6 years, for a median age of 67.5 years (min: 60 years, max: 88 years). There were 22 female (69%) and 10 male (31%) patients, with a sex ratio H/F of 2.2. The mean duration of symptom progression before diagnosis was 33.2 months. What dominates our series is the inaugural involvement of the interphalangeal proximal, wrists, shoulders and metacarpophalangeal for the vast majority of cases. Oral corticosteroids were used in 27 patients and were the only treatment in 3 patients. Methotrexate (MTX) was introduced in 27 patients. Nine patients received biotherapy: it was tocilizumab (Roactemra®) for 5 patients, adalimumab (Humira®) for 2 patients, abatacept (Orencia®) for 2 patients, etanercept (Enbrel®) for 2 patients, golimumab (Simponi®) for 1 patient and infliximab (Remicade®) for one patient. In our series, 7 patients are over 75 years old at the time of diagnosis of RA.
The rheumatoid arthritis of the elderly remains a common condition and constitutes a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Because of the co-morbidities, the clinician\'s perception of the patient\'s overall condition and the inaccuracies in the use of certain molecules in these patients, under-treatment may, on the contrary, weaken a patient whose remission will be postponed. This was not the case in our series, with a methodical use of methotrexate as well as effective dose biotherapies.

The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression and its risk factors in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated in German primary care practices.
Longitudinal data from general practices (n=1072) throughout Germany were analyzed. Individuals initially diagnosed with RA (2009-2013) were identified, and 7301 patients were included and matched (1:1) to 7301 controls. The primary outcome measure was the initial diagnosis of depression within 5 years after the index date in patients with and without RA. Cox proportional hazards models were used to adjust for confounders.
The mean age was 72.2 years (SD: 7.6 years). A total of 34.9 % of patients were men. Depression diagnoses were present in 22.0 % of the RA group and 14.3 % of the control group after a 5-year follow-up period (p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression model, RA was a strong risk factor for the development of depression (HR: 1.55, p < 0.001). There was significant interaction of RA and diagnosed inflammatory polyarthropathies (IP) (RA*IP interaction: p < 0.001). Furthermore, dementia, cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension, and diabetes were associated with a higher risk of developing depression (p values <0.001).
The risk of depression is significantly higher in patients with late-onset RA than in patients without RA for subjects treated in primary care practices in Germany. RA patients should be screened routinely for depression in order to ensure improved treatment and management.