Methotrexate has long been the preferred first treatment for patients RA, the co-authors write in the study discussion. The 2021 ACR Guideline for the Treatment of RA strongly recommends methotrexate over hydroxychloroquine or sulfasalazine for patients who are DMARD naive and have moderate to high disease activity.4 Hydroxychloroquine is more commonly prescribed to treat patients with SLE, so it’s possible physicians in this study prescribed it more often for these patients who were ANA positive due to ambiguity about their diagnoses. However, there is no way to know exactly why these treatment selections were made, write the researchers.
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Susan Bernstein is a freelance journalist based in Atlanta.
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- Fraenkel L, Bathon JM, England BR, et al. 2021 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Care Res. 2021 Jul;73(7):1108–1123.