Source: Addiction  |  Posted 9 years ago

Patients with Crohn's disease are treated most frequently with aminosalicylates, corticosteroids or a combination of both, say Spanish researchers.

Frequent use of these drugs in Spain, either in monotherapy or combined, is not linked to age, gender, clinical pattern or location, they say.

In this observational, cross-sectional study of 635 patients from 39 Spanish hospitals, the investigators analysed factors associated with these treatments and the therapeutic strategies used for Crohn's disease.

Two structured questionnaires were used by researchers at the Medical Department, AstraZeneca, Madrid, Ediciones Doyma, Medical Department, Farmacusi and Adelphi Targis, Barcelona, Spain. Demographic clinical data and disease activity were collected in one questionnaire completed by gastroenterologists.

Epidemiological and drug utilization data was recorded in the other from telephone interviews with the patients.

The most commonly used drugs in all subjects were aminosalicylates, 77%, and corticosteroids, 41%. Monotherapy, which was associated with less severe disease and relapse, was found to have been used in 52% of the patients.

An inverse association with the use of immunosuppressors was found with aminosalicylate treatment which was linked with relapse.

Treatment with aminosalicylate was related to relapse and was seen to be inversely associated with use of immunosuppressors.

Corticosteroid use, which was also associated with relapse as well as disease activity and emergency visit frequency, was inversely linked with perianal disease. An association was also found between the use of immunosuppressor and perianal disease, chronic active disease and routine visit frequency.

Use of immunosuppressors was associated inversely with aminosalicylate use.

Relapse, perianal disease, chronic active disease and hospitalisation was seen to be associated with antibiotic use.