title: [What are patients with early rheumatoid arthritis like in Spain? Description of the PROAR cohort].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify factors present in recent onset arthritis that may help to predict rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to describe a cohort of recent onset RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 5 year prospective cohort of patients with early oligo and polyarthritis (< 1 year of evolution) from 34 rheumatology units, was studied. Sociodemographic, clinical features and RA risk factors were recorded. Rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-CCP determinations and radiographs of hands and feet were analyzed too. After three years, a diagnosis of certainty and the variables that determined the evolution to RA, were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and seventy one patients were included; 161 (94.2%) fulfilled RA diagnostic criteria; most of them (157; 97.5%) in the first visit. Factors associated with RA diagnosis were: positive RF, anti-CCP and DAS-28; 65% of the patients had radiological erosions in the first visit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive RF, anti-CCP and the disease activity are predictive factors of RA. Radiological damage exists very early in most of patients, that's why it is more important to treat the disease aggressively instead than achieving an RA diagnosis of certainty.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Reumatología, Hospital de Móstoles, Móstoles, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villaverde García
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balsa
authors.forename: Loreto
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.forename: Raimon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanmartí
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maese
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pascual
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ivorra