Among patients with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic and the French ESPOIR cohorts followed for 7–10 years, those who first met with a rheumatologist within 6 weeks of symptom onset were more likely to achieve sustained DMARD-free remission than those who were seen by a rheumatologist 7–12 weeks after symptom onset (HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.10–2.57) or more than 12 weeks after symptom onset (HR 1.67; 95% CI 1.08–2.58). Radiographic progression was more severe in those not seen within 12 weeks of symptom onset, but was similar in the other two groups.
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Niemantsverdriet, E. et al. Referring early arthritis patients within 6 weeks versus 12 weeks after symptom onset: an observational cohort study. Lancet Rheumatol. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(20)30061-8 (2020)
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Onuora, S. Early referral matters for RA outcomes. Nat Rev Rheumatol 16, 350 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-020-0437-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-020-0437-x
