THU0056 Women, Men, and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Radiographic Progression over Ten Years in The Current Millennium

Background Radiographs of hands and feet represent an objective outcome measure of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Joint damage is a result of cumulative disease activity over years. Unlike other clinical measures, radiographic damage is caused mainly by disease inflammatory activity. Therefore, radiographs are a proper measure to analyze whether RA behaves differently in women and men over time. Objectives To compare radiographic progression in women and men over 10 years after diagnosis of early RA. Methods All 1046 patients who were diagnosed with RA in 1997 – 2005 at a single rheumatology center were scheduled for a 10 year follow-up with radiographs of hands and feet at years 0, 2, 5, and 10. Larsen score (0 - 100) was employed including MCPs, wrists and 2–5 MTP joints. Radiographic progression over 10 years was calculated and compared between women and men. Results Among 1046 patients (66% women, mean age 58, 60% seropositive, 13% with erosions at baseline), 5-year radiographs were available in 85% and 10-year radiographs in 71% of patients. A 5-year radiographic progression was similar between women and men: among 539 seropositive patients the median (IQR) Larsen score was 2 (0, 6) in 359 women and 2 (0, 7) in 180 men. In 346 seronegative patients the figures were 0 (0, 2) and 0 (0, 2) in 245 women and 101 men, respectively. Overall, 50% of seropositive women and 52% of seropositive men showed erosions and in seronegative patients the respective proportions were 17% and 23%. Also the 10-year radiographic progression was similar between women and men (Figure 1). Among 480 seropositive patients, the median (IQR) Larsen score was 4 (0, 10) in 333 women and 4 (1, 9) in 147 men. In 263 seronegative patients the figures were 0 (0, 2) and 0 (0, 3) in 187 women and 76 men, respectively. Overall, 59% of seropositive women and 63% of men showed erosions and in seronegative patients the proportions were 21% and 28%, respectively. Among seropositive women vs men similar proportion had been treated with various anti rheumatic medications including 90% vs 87% MTX, 22% vs 29% subcutaneous MTX, 75% vs 84% SSZ, 76% vs 71% HCQ, 17% vs 16% LEF, 14% vs 12% im gold, 78% vs 77% Pred, and 22% vs 20% biologic agents. Mortality (a total of 15% of women and 30% of men died over 10 years) was the main reason for missing data. Conclusions Radiographic progression is similar in women and men who are treated for RA in the current millennium. Disclosure of Interest None declared