Treatment strategies for early rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a potentially destructive disease with profound impact on patients' function and quality of life. Newer therapeutic agents have revolutionized outcomes but have not resulted in best outcomes for all patients. In this article, we will review recent progress in the development of strategies to enhance outcomes in patients with early RA (ERA).

Over the past 10 years, investigators have increasingly focused on additional means for improving long-term prognosis of patients with RA by examining the effect of different strategies to reach clinical targets reflecting optimal levels of disease control. In particular, it has become apparent that patients with ERA have the best chance to reach optimal outcomes, thus normalizing function, and halting radiographic damage. Studies show that strategies including treating to a target, computerizing targets, and combining clinical and biological or imaging targets for patients are enabling more patients to achieve remission, sustained remission, and even drug-free remission.

Overall, the bar has been set higher in clinical research with the expectation that therapeutic approaches for all patients should be implemented to achieve high-level targeted outcomes. Studies evaluating the feasibility of implementing these in practice are needed to achieve this goal for all patients with ERA.