title: The evidence for early intervention.
abstract: It is believed that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common, potentially treatable cause of disability in the Western world. A commonsense approach to the management of a persistent, progressive, damaging condition such as RA would seem to be intervention before the onset of damage, at a stage when disease still may be reversible. Such a phase of disease has been described as a "window of opportunity" for intervention. This article discusses the evidence for early intervention in RA.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Musculoskeletal Disease, Department of Rheumatology, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds LS7 4SA, UK. m.quinn@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents