Despite an increasing awareness among rheumatologists of the importance of early treatment in rheumatoid arthritis, the majority of patients still are not beginning treatment at a time when they are most likely to achieve remission and avoid joint destruction, a study conducted in the Netherlands found.
Among patients enrolled in the Leiden early arthritis cohort, the hazard ratio for not having sustained remission was 1.87 (95% CI 1.18 to 2.99, P=0.008) among patients not referred within 12 weeks of symptom onset, according to Michael P.M. van der Linden, MD, of Leiden University, and colleagues.
Moreover, patients whose diagnosis was delayed for 12 weeks or longer had a 1.34-fold higher rate of radiographic progression of their disease, the researchers reported online in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Experience during the past decade with better and earlier treatments has shown that the 12 weeks after symptom onset can be considered a window of opportunity during which optimal outcomes are likely in rheumatoid arthritis.
To read the rest of the article:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/23601
while it wasn't symptom onset.. it was flare from hell.. but due to being sero-neg I was denied having RA and denied getting the help I needed from June 07 til October 07... about the average delay.
Thanks Lynn!!
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