Deep Remission Tied to RA Control - Summary - MDSpire

Deep Remission Tied to RA Control

At 5 years, 63% of patients in the CliDR group maintained sustained remission compared with 38% in the non-CliDR group.

  • By

  • Andrea Surnit

  • May 6, 2026

  • 4 min

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Objective:

To evaluate the long-term remission rates and relapse vulnerability in rheumatoid arthritis patients achieving clinical deep remission (CliDR) compared to those meeting less stringent DAS28-CRP remission criteria.

Key Findings:
  • 63% of patients in the CliDR group maintained sustained remission at 5 years compared to 38% in the non-CliDR group.
  • Relapse occurred in 12 of 32 patients in the CliDR group versus 70 of 113 in the non-CliDR group.
  • Tapering treatment was associated with an 8.5-fold higher relapse hazard in non-CliDR patients, but the risk was significantly lower in the CliDR group.
Interpretation:

Achieving CliDR may provide better long-term remission outcomes and reduced relapse risk during treatment tapering compared to less stringent DAS28-CRP remission criteria.

Limitations:
  • Single-center design limits generalizability and may not reflect broader populations.
  • Modest sample size and limited statistical power may affect the reliability of findings.
  • Cohort highly selected with 97% anti-CCP positive and fewer than 10% on biologic DMARDs, limiting applicability to biologic-treated patients.
Conclusion:

Achieving clinical deep remission is associated with significantly higher sustained remission rates in rheumatoid arthritis patients, particularly relevant when considering medication tapering.

Original Source(s)

Deep Remission Tied to RA Control

  • by Andrea Surnit

  • May 6, 2026

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