Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41442071›Full record

ArticleDrugs - real world outcomes2026

Comparison of Opioid Utilization in Older Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis before and after Initiating Biological or Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs.

Yinan Huang, Shadi Bazzazzadehgan, Liang-Yuan Lin, Omkar Ghodke, Sebastian Bruera, Kaustuv Bhattacharya, Sujith Ramachandran, John P Bentley, Sandeep K Agarwal, Yi Yang

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Drugs - real world outcomes, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Yinan Huang *Department of Pharmacy Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA. yhuang9@olemiss.edu.
Shadi Bazzazzadehgan *Department of Pharmacy Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.
Liang-Yuan LinDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.
Omkar GhodkeDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.
Sebastian BrueraSection of Immunology, Allergy & Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Kaustuv BhattacharyaDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.
Sujith RamachandranDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.
John P BentleyDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.
Sandeep K AgarwalSection of Immunology, Allergy & Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Yi YangDepartment of Pharmacy Administration, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.

Funding

National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse 2R15DA046036-02
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOpioid use is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for pain management; however, evidence of opioid-associated adverse events is increasing. While biological (b) or targeted synthetic (ts) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) improve functional outcomes such as pain, little is known about their impact on opioid utilization patterns. This study investigated opioid utilization before and after b/tsDMARD initiation and assessed effect modification by sex.

methodsUsing 5% Medicare claims data from 2012 to 2020, this cohort study included older adults (≥ 65 years) with RA who initiated b/tsDMARDs (first prescription = index date), and had continuous Medicare Parts A, B, and D, but not Part C enrollment, during 12 months before and after initiation. The outcomes of interest were any opioid use and long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). McNemar's test was performed to compare outcomes before and after b/tsDMARD initiation. Sex-based differences in changes in opioid use after b/tsDMARD initiation were also evaluated.

resultsThe study cohort included 3585 individuals with RA initiating b/tsDMARDs; most were female (75.87%) with a mean (SD) age of 73.15 (5.99) years. Following b/tsDMARD initiation, any opioid use decreased significantly from 2094 (58.41%) to 2017 (56.26%) (p = 0.015). However, LTOT use increased significantly from 733 (20.45%) to 900 (25.10%) (p < 0.001), following b/tsDMARD initiation. No evidence of sex differences in the association between b/tsDMARD initiation and opioid utilization was identified.

conclusionsInitiating b/tsDMARDs was associated with a modest reduction in any opioid use. However, LTOT use in RA remained persistently high. The impact of different b/tsDMARD initiation on opioid utilization patterns needs further investigation.

Identifiers

PMID41442071
PMCPMC13003035

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.