Safety of Four Treatment Regimens in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis

The study compared the safety of four treatment regimens in 141 patients with early rheumatoid arthritis over one year. The regimens included methotrexate (MTX), MTX plus prednisolone (MTX-P), MTX-P plus methylprednisolone (MTX-P-MP), and leflunomide (LEF). Side effects were similar across groups, with 9 patients in each group experiencing them. Six patients discontinued therapy due to side effects, most frequently in the LEF group. The MTX-P group had no therapy withdrawals. Overall, side effects were generally moderate or minimal, and the safety profile was consistent across all groups.