2008 ACR Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Guidelines Released
Thursday June 26, 2008
Rheumatoid arthritis treatments include medication options that have expanded over the last decade. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released its 2008 guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis treatments -- an update of the 2002 guidelines. The 2008 recommendations focus on the use of non-biologic DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs) and biologic DMARDs to treat the disease.
The 2008 guidelines were developed by an expert panel of doctors, researchers, and patient representatives following extensive review of scientific evidence related to non-biologic and biologic treatments. The recommendations are not to be used like a cookbook, or to replace a doctor's judgment regarding an individual patient.
The ACR expects to regularly update the recommendations as new scientific evidence becomes available. To reiterate an important point, these are only recommendations. Individual patients may require a different treatment plan. Read more in Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments - 2008 ACR Recommendations.
Related Resources:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Screening Quiz
- Test Your Knowledge: Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: Explained With Pictures
- 10 Things You Should Know About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Photo by Joanne Green (iStockphoto)
Comments
Thank You for this article.
Darvocet may be a cause of some deaths as are many other meds. Stop pushing over the counter meds in lieu of these. Naproxen raises blood pressure and causes swelling of the extremities. Ibuprofen can cause abdominal bleeding and ulcers. I take Darvocet. It is the only analgesic I can take that will stop my severe pains.
I have also taken darvocet and know many people who depend on it for pain relief. For those people, nothing works better than darvocet.