Suppressing Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Does Patient Global Assessment Blur the Target? A Practice‐Based Call for a Paradigm Change

Objective In current management paradigms of rheumatoid arthritis ( RA ), patient global assessment ( PGA ) is crucial to decide whether a patient has attained remission (target) or needs reinforced therapy. We investigated whether the clinical and psychological determinants of PGA are appropriate to support this important role. Methods This was a cross‐sectional, single‐center study including consecutive ambulatory RA patients. Data collection comprised swollen 28‐joint count ( SJC 28), tender 28‐joint count ( TJC 28), C‐reactive protein ( CRP ) level, PGA , pain, fatigue, function, anxiety, depression, happiness, personality traits, and comorbidities. Remission was categorized using American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Boolean‐based criteria: remission, near‐remission (only PGA >1), and nonremission. A binary definition without PGA (3v‐remission) was also studied. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to identify explanatory variables of PGA in each remission state. Results A total of 309 patients were included (remission 9.4%, near‐remission 37.2%, and nonremission 53.4%). Patients in near‐remission were indistinguishable from remission regarding disease activity, but described a disease impact similar to those in nonremission. In multivariable analyses, PGA in near‐remission was explained (R 2 adjusted = 0.50) by fatigue, pain, anxiety, and function. Fatigue and pain had no relationship with disease activity measures. Conclusion In RA , a consensually acceptable level of disease activity ( SJC 28, TJC 28, and CRP level ≤1) does not equate to low disease impact: a large proportion of these patients are considered in nonremission solely due to PGA . PGA mainly reflects fatigue, pain, function, and psychological domains, which are inadequate to define the target for immunosuppressive therapy. This consideration suggests that clinical practice should be guided by 2 separate remission targets: inflammation (3v‐remission) and disease impact.