[Goals of therapy in rheumatoid arthritis]

A better definition of goals of therapy has deeply changed the prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis. The main goal is the early control of joint inflammation reaching, if possible, remission in early arthritis and, in later cases, low disease activity. To target such a low activity, a tight control with therapeutic adjustment is necessary. The other goals derive from the control of inflammatory activity: reduction of progression and, if possible, stop of structural damage tightly linked to inflammation; control of functional consequences related mainly to the addition of inflammatory component and structural damage; control of cardio-vascular risk factors responsible of 30-50% of deaths and finally protection of bone.