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Need for research regarding the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (polyarthritis) is a painful chronic inflammatory disorder primarily affecting joints. It may result in permanent damage of the affected joints.

To prevent joint damage, intensive treatment should be initiated early on. Treatment with "anchor drugs" (e.g. methotrexate) takes several weeks to exert its full effect. For this reason, treatment is often initiated with cortisone-related drugs (usually prednisolone) for several weeks to provide quick relief for symptoms and prevent further damage.

For the treatment, it is important for cortisone-related drugs to have an optimum effect and be well-tolerated by the patient at the same time. The "CORRA study aims to investigate the ideal dosage of prednisolone to meet both these criteria.