Key clinical point: Female reproductive status influences the likelihood of achieving rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remission, with odds being higher in the premenopausal vs perimenopausal status and with the use of exogenous sex hormones.
Major finding: Female patients in perimenopause vs premenopause were less likely to achieve remission (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.78; 95% CI 0.61-0.99). The use of exogenous sex hormones was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of achieving remission (aHR 1.20; P = .038).
Study details: This study pooled individual patient data from 5 phase 3 trials and evaluated 4455 female patients with moderate-to-severe active RA and varying menopausal status and exogenous sex hormone use who were randomly assigned to receive tocilizumab or conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest .
Source: Daraghmeh DN et al. Female reproductive status and exogenous sex hormone use in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with tocilizumab and csDMARDs. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2022 (Jun 22). Doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keac357