New Methods to Detect Early Risks of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Study Rationale:

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that about 54 million U.S. adults, accounting for about 25% of the U.S. adult population, were living with arthritis. More importantly, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to the American College of Rheumatology, is the most common type of chronic autoimmune arthritis. The symptoms of RA include tenderness, stiffness, and swelling in more than one joint of the hands, knees, and feet.

Study Impact and Next Steps:

Rheumatoid arthritis is an interesting disease because its etiology is currently unknown. However, it has been demonstrated that genetic factors accounted for up to 50% of the risk of developing RA. Treatments for RA emphasize alleviating the symptoms. Since RA’s pathogenesis is not thoroughly understood, it is imperative to address RA during its preclinical period, or pre-rheumatoid arthritis (pre-RA) by identifying and modifying RA risk factors.

The CDC announces that RA is a leading cause of work disability, with annual medical care costs and lost earnings totaling more than $300 billion. Assisting our healthcare system in its mission to reduce the various impacts of RA on our population, for the next 15 weeks, we invite you to join me and examine new effective methods to detect early risks of developing RA during the pre-RA period, including screening techniques, genetic assessment, and evaluation of environmental factors.