ERIC RUDERMAN, MD: There are certain markers, markers of active inflammation, markers that include how many joints are involved, certain antibodies, like the rheumatoid factor or the CCP test, that, if they’re there, tell me that that person is more likely to have very aggressive disease. They’re not one-to-one, so there are people who have some of these markers that are associated with bad disease who may not in fact end up having bad disease. But when we see those, we’re even more concerned about making sure we start treatment so that we prevent what we assume are likely to be the consequences.
ANNOUNCER: Doctors say that regardless of the cause, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are essential.
STEVEN ABRAMSON, MD: We all agree now that this can be a devastating disease that should be treated early, and that once the damage has begun to accumulate in the joints, it’s much harder to reverse. In fact, we’re not sure that medicines can restore the cartilage and bone, but we have very good evidence now that they prevent the damage to the bone and cartilage, and that’s the fundamental cause of disability.
ANNOUNCER: New treatments are offering patients improved outcomes.
STEVEN ABRAMSON, MD: We learned in the 1970s that the life expectancy was reduced by 10 to 15 years from simply having rheumatoid arthritis. So we’ve become much more aggressive in the past 25 years and have seen for the first time during this period that we can slow the progression of the disease, reduce disability, improve function, get people back to work. We rarely see people in wheelchairs anymore, and I think there’s been a real revolution because of better treatments.
