The progression of structural joint damage is the leading cause of disability and socioeconomic costs associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Remission and low clinical activity not always imply absence of progression of structural damage. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the progression of radiological damage in early RA patients currently treated with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and low disease activity to which treatment with zoledronic acid is added. The investigators propose a randomized clinical trial in 94 patients with RA of less than 2 years of evolution that, being treated with DMARDs, present criteria of low disease activity (DAS28 \< 3.2). Patients will be randomized into two branches: zoledronic acid and no treatment. The primary study endpoint is the progression of radiological damage assessed in a blinded way by the difference in the Sharp-van der Heijde index (SHI) in radiographs of hands and feet after two years; the secondary variables: radiographic progression after one year, serum bone biomarkers (OPG, RANKL, DKK-1 and sclerostin) and adverse effects. In a subgroup of patients, the investigators shall evaluate the change in the size of hand erosions by multislice computed tomography and the evolution of periarticular osteoporosis and systemic bone mass by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
28
Zoledronic acid: 5 mg/year x 2 years
Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Hospital de Sant Joan Despí Moisés Broggi
Sant Joan Despí, Barcelona, Spain
Hospital Residència Sant Camil
Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona, Spain
Hospital de Viladecans
Viladecans, Barcelona, Spain
Hospital Universitario de Cruces
Barakaldo, Bilbao, Spain
Hospital Universitari Son Espases
Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain
Complexo Hospitalario Universitario A Coruña
A Coruña, Spain
Hospital Clinic I Provincial de Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
Hospital Universitario de La Princesa
Madrid, Spain
Hospital Universitario La Paz
Madrid, Spain
...and 1 more locations
Sharp van der Heijde index
To assess the progression of radiographic damage in patients with early RA in current treatment with DMARDs and low disease activity to which treatment with zoledronic acid is added, compared to a no treatment control population, after two years.
Time frame: Two years
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