Rapid radiographic progression (RRP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs in a small percentage of patients. The use of effective therapy can slow radiographic progression in these patients. Rapid identification of risk factors for RRP is therefore important for patients with RA. Using a single variable affecting RRP may be of limited importance. Much more effective is a combination of many variables affecting RRP. For this purpose, matrix models for predicting RRP in patients with RA were prepared. Data from patients from the clinical trials ASPIRE, ATTRACT and BEST were used.
The designed matrix risk models for the prediction of RRP could help rheumatologists in their daily practice in making decisions about the use of treatment strategies in patients with RA. They allow one to assess the risk of RRP in each patient taking into account the combination of specific risk factors. They require the use of several variables that are easy to evaluate, take into account the different treatment options and are easy to use.