Trends in remission rates for rheumatoid arthritis in England and Wales: a population-level cohort study
Authors' conclusion
While national remission rates for early RA have remained stable in England and Wales since 2018, there is marked regional and hospital-level variation, highlighting ongoing inequities in service delivery.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals with new RA diagnoses in National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA), England and Wales, May 2018-April 202413,752 with DAS28 at 3 months
- Participants
- 21,904 individuals
- Outcome
- Remission (DAS28 < 2.6)
- Follow-up
- 3 months after initial rheumatology assessment
Methodological detailspopulation-level, interrupted time-series, case-mix-adjusted mixed-effects regression, multivariable logistic regression
- Population-level
- Interrupted time-series
- Case-mix-adjusted mixed-effects regression
- Multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
3 months
Achieved remission
4764
34.6%
Geographical variation, lowest London
28.4%
Geographical variation, highest East of England
40.3%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Predictors of remission
- Younger age, female sex, Black ethnicity, higher baseline DAS28, delayed DMARD initiation and longer symptom duration independently associated with reduced odds of remission
Delays between symptom onset and referral
- Increased since the COVID-19 pandemic
Original publication
Trends in remission rates for rheumatoid arthritis in England and Wales: a population-level cohort study. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 5 May 2025. doi:10.
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