What are the costs to society and the potential benefits from the effective management of early rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disabling condition associated with a significant long-term loss of function and a significant socio-economic impact on individual sufferers and their families, as well as on society as a whole. There is a suggestion that the incidence and severity of the disease may be abating slightly, which has been attributed to the trend to ‘invert the pyramid’ and to diagnose and treat rheumatoid disease earlier and more aggressively. Studies have confirmed that the erosions, which lead to subsequent joint damage, occur early in the course of the disease. Ongoing disease activity, both clinically and serologically, has now been linked to increasing morbidity, loss of function and mortality. New agents have been developed and, together with combinations of old and new agents, have been shown to be more effective if used earlier in the course of the disease. The better the early control of the disease, the better the long-term outcome. Early and more vigorous treat
