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For patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, getting steroid injections early on may help them get off steroids sooner. A large Canadian real-world study found that patients who received injected glucocorticoids in the first 3 months were 60% less likely to still be on steroids at 12 months compared to those who took oral steroids — and disease control was similar across groups.
For patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the way steroids are delivered early on could make a big difference down the road. A new real-world study from Canada found that patients who received injected (parenteral) glucocorticoids in the first 3 months of treatment were significantly less likely to still be on steroids a year later — without any trade-off in disease control.
The study analyzed data from over 2,200 adults with early RA enrolled between 2007 and 2023. Patients were grouped by how they received glucocorticoids in the first 3 months: no GCs (75%), oral (19%), parenteral — intramuscular or intra-articular (5%), or both (1%).
Why it matters: Long-term steroid use carries well-known risks — bone loss, cardiovascular effects, and more. These findings suggest that using injections as a short-term "bridging" strategy in early RA could help patients taper off steroids faster, offering a smarter approach to early disease management.
