Long-term DMARD laboratory monitoring
Currently, patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have been using a DMARD for longer than 6 months undergo blood tests every 3 to 6 months to assess potential harmful effects of the medication on kidney function, liver function, as well as any abnormalities in red and/or white blood cells or platelets. Most abnormalities seen in blood tests related to DMARD use are, however, observed within the first 6 months of exposure to the medication.
With our cohort study, we have gathered data from over 5000 patients to obtain more knowledge about the prevalence of abnormalities found with routine blood tests after using DMARDs for longer than 6 months. To date, little is known about this topic. If few abnormalities are found during this routine monitoring, it could potentially pave the way for safely reducing the frequency of these routine blood tests in the future.