Early Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis Key

 Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joints. In this condition joints are subjected to inflammation, which causes damage to cartilage and bones. Along with causing significant pain and limited range of motion, the joint damage associated with rheumatoid arthritis can cause disabling deformities, particularly in the hands and feet.

It's important to treat rheumatoid arthritis early on. The disease is progressive, and a significant amount of damage occurs in the first couple years of onset. Slowing or halting its progress in the early days can decrease your pain and disability in the years to come.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Bad news for those who don't like to take medications: The only reliable way to halt or slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis is to take disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). There are two main types of these drugs: one that suppresses the whole immune system, and one that hones in on certain inflammation producers. Drugs in the latter category are called biologics; these drugs are synthesized from human genes.

Researchers recently sought to assess the impact of early intervention on prognosis. They tracked 833 patients over a two-year period, all of whom were classified as having "early" rheumatoid arthritis, which meant onset within less than one year. More than 90% of the patients received DMARDs to slow the disease.

At six months, 56% of the patients achieved what is called "low disease activity," marked by a reduction of swelling, pain and inflammatory markers. At two years, those who attained to low disease activity had notably better levels of functioning than patients who had not.

This study highlights the importance of early treatment; it also shows that conventional treatments don't appear to work well for everyone. There are many different medications out there, each with its own strengths and method of affecting the body. Combining biologics with another DMARD may be the best option. The researchers also noted that the "window" for early intervention, as attested to by this study, is within three months of developing joint inflammation. As "early" arthritis was considered to have occurred within the past year for the study, it's probable that many of the 44% who didn't reach low disease activity at six months had been suffering symptoms for longer than 3 months.