Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs

Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs

Introduction

With early diagnosis and treatment, Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis may achieve the best possible result. Treating individuals will depend on the type of arthritis and their particular symptoms. All programs for the treatment of arthritis are aimed at:

Control inflammation

Relieve pain

Prevent joint damage, and

Optimize the function

The immediate goal of pharmacotherapy is to reduce inflammation, relieve pain and swelling and maximize functional ability. Meanwhile, long-term objectives are to prevent progression of the disease and the destruction of bone, cartilage and soft tissue such as muscles, tendons and joint capsules. The rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease of the joints. It can cause inflammation throughout the body. RA is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system of the body mistakenly attacks healthy cells in joints and other organs. When this occurs, the joint fluid accumulates and results in a swelling which can lead to joint damage. If the inflammation continues, the cartilage that covers and cushions the ends of bones can also deteriorate. Once worn cartilage does not repair itself. The joint may become painful and difficult to move. The good news is that the risk of developing symptoms outside the joint is smaller today than ever before. DMARDs are used to treat individuals with arthritis and related conditions. During the last decades, significant advances have been made in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (Capell, 2007). Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis may include drugs that slow the progression of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis. These drugs are called modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and are an important part in an overall treatment plan. DMARDs are certainly effective, but the fact that approximately 1% of the adult population suffers from RA and up to one third of these patients do not respond to currently available treatments poses a major challenge in clinical research in RA. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectives of DMARDs.

Thesis statement

The disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, also known as remission-inducing agents, do not produce an anti-inflammatory and pain relief immediately, but prevent certain joint damage, like bone destruction and loss of joint space, several weeks or months after initiation of therapy.

Overview of drug class and its Adverse Effects

Drugs Disease modifying antirheumatic reacts on the immune system of an individual so that progression of rheumatoid could be slowed down, these drugs are also known as disease modifying. There are various medicines or we can say classes of DMARDs to be used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, however some are used more often than others:

Methotrexate

Methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) administered weekly either by mouth (liquid or pills) or by injection. It is the disease-modifying antirheumatic drug most widely prescribed for children and adults with arthritis. Numerous studies rheumatoid arthritis has documented benefit of Methotrexate in treatment results of long-term disease. There were detected few serious side effects when using low doses of Methotrexate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. But it is still important to regularly monitor laboratory testing. Side effects can be found nausea, ...