FRIDAY, Oct. 23, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), remission is attainable with usual care, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Rheumatology.
Franziska Kluempers, M.D., from Universität Bochum in Germany, and colleagues examined remission rates in axSpA using cross-sectional data in a study of 200 adult patients with two or more prior visits, who were studied for a mean of 82.6 months.
The researchers found that at the enrollment visit, the mean Axial Spondyloarthritis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) was 2.0. During observation, 58.5 percent of patients achieved ASDAS remission at least once. Remission was reached at 37.7 months after the start of hospital treatment. Overall, 37.6, 17.1, 11.1, and 34.2 percent of patients achieved remission within the first year, after the first year, after two years, and after three years, respectively. The mean duration of remission was 9.9 months. Sustained remission for six or more consecutive months was achieved by 43.6 percent of patients. Associations were seen for higher C-reactive protein and lower Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index at the index visit with achieving remission at least once (odds ratios, 1.35 and 0.72, respectively).
"These data demonstrate that, for a sizable proportion of patients, remission is possible," the authors write. "Future research expanding the study to multiple centers and incorporating imaging to further stratify patients will lead to a more robust understanding of this necessary target of remission in these patients."
