Does a purely clinical score (CDAI) provide valid disease activity measurement compared to scores including acute phase reactants in rheumatoid arthritis?
A purely clinical score (CDAI) without acute phase reactants is a valid measure of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis, facilitating immediate treatment decisions.
APRs add little information on top (and independent) of the combination of clinical variables included in the SDAI. A purely clinical score is a valid measure of disease activity and will have its greatest merits in clinical practice rather than research, where APRs are usually always available. The CDAI may facilitate immediate and consistent treatment decisions and help to improve patient outcomes in the longer term.
Aletaha et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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