A combination of three laboratory tests can help to identify rheumatoid arthritis patients sooner and enable clinicians to start tailored treatment promptly, as Jason Cunningham explains.
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disease that leads to irreversible joint damage, systemic complications, and is associated with considerable morbidity.1,2 It is usually marked by inflammatory changes in the synovial membranes and articular structures, and by muscle atrophy and refraction of the bones.2
The initial presenting features of early RA do not differ substantially from other forms of inflammatory arthritis.3 Patients can present with a wide range of manifestations, including a history of swelling in joints, early morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, and systemic symptoms such as tiredness combined with objective evidence of synovitis (inflammation of the membrane lining joints). There is also a wide range of conditions that can mimic RA, including:1
Early identification and treatment of RA can affect the disease course, prevent the development of joint erosion, and/or retard progression of erosive disease.3
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