Prevention and cure of rheumatoid arthritis: Is it possible?

Advances in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis have made it possible to profoundly influence signs and symptoms as well as the course of joint destruction in inflammatory arthritis. Earlier and more efficient treatment appears to significantly improve the prognosis of this disease. Despite these advances, cure (the absence of signs and symptoms without further treatment) is still relatively rare, observable in, at most, 20% of the patients. Remission (or a state of very low disease activity), however, has been observed with intense and individually tailored treatment in up to 75% of patients. The use of structured assessments followed by individual modification of the intensity of treatment aiming for remission leads to better clinical responses and radiological outcomes. It remains to be seen whether earlier and more aggressive treatment of patients with not yet ‘fully established’ rheumatoid arthritis may succeed in preventing at least some of them from progressing to destructive arthritis.