rheumatoid arthritis and pharmacoepidemiology

Question 1

CRP-C protein

Answer 1

grades of inflammation can be measured with this protein in RA

Question 2

DMARDs

Answer 2

improve physical function and inhibit progression of joint damage, reduce risk of CV disease

Question 3

csDMARDs

Answer 3

synthetic drugs, small chemical molecules, given orally: methotrexate, sulfasalazine, leflunomide, hydroxychloroquine

Question 4

bDMARDs

Answer 4

biologic agents so called biologicals, target antibodies. 3 types: TNF-alpha inhibitor, B- and T-cell inhibitor and IL6 and IL1 inhibitor

Question 5

tsDMARDs

Answer 5

synthetic drugs targeting steps in immuno-pathway, may cause thromboembolism

Question 6

methotrexate

Answer 6

most important RA drug, inhibits release of folic acid, reducing inflammation, day after need to take folic acid.

Question 7

glucocorticosteroids

Answer 7

powerful, broad spectrum anti-inflammatory agent, has lot of side effects thereby used short term at start with methotrexate

Question 8

post marketing surveillance

Answer 8

drug keeps being studied after release for side effects, long term safety, drug-drug interactions

Question 9

prevalence

Answer 9

to point out number of patients using a drug, or suffering from a certain disease at a given point in time

Question 10

incidence

Answer 10

number of new cases of illness or number of new users of a certain drug, during a specific time period in a population

Question 11

incidence (proportion)

Answer 11

new users/population at risk

Question 12

incidence rate

Answer 12

new users/total person time at risk

Question 13

DDD

Answer 13

defined daily doses, the assumed average maintenance dose a day for a drug used in adults

Question 14

ATC

Answer 14

anatomic therapeutic chemical classification, drug can have many ATC codes

Question 15

cohort study

Answer 15

two groups of which one is using drug, outcome of interest is measured, prospective or retrospective

Question 16

relative risk

Answer 16

incidence (exposed)/Incidece (reference), risk of outcome for those with risk factor compared to not, smaller than one is protective factor

Question 17

case control study

Answer 17

patients with outcome of interest and not are selected, then identify exposure of interest. always retrospective

Question 18

prospective

Answer 18

study is carried out before the outcomes of interest have been developed

Question 19

retrospective

Answer 19

study is carried out after the outcomes of interest have been developed