The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis has been activated

Improve diagnostic rates based on ACR/EULAR classification

The treatment environment for rheumatoid arthritis has improved significantly.

 

As the diagnosis became accurate, it increased, and the application of the new drug developed greatly.

 

Recently, the number of patients has been steadily increasing every year as the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis has been activated in Korea.

 

The HIRA updates disease statistics last year at the end of April every year.

 

Recently confirmed and found that the number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in 2021 was about 131.68 million, an increase of more than 25% over five years compared to 104,354 in 2016.

 

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks joint tissue, causing inflammation and pain, causing joint damage, dysfunction, and painful swelling.

 

Early treatment is known as a disease that can be managed by positively improving the patient's prognosis.

 

In the past, diagnostic criteria were diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis if more than four of the seven symptoms, such as morning stiffness or osteoarthritis of the hand.

 

This criterion was useful as a method for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis, which has already progressed a lot, but it was pointed out that it was not suitable for early diagnosis.

 

However, in 2010, ACR and EULAR set a new standard for diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis if the number of joint invasion, the results of rheumatoid factors and anti-CCP antibody tests through blood tests, the increase in inflammation levels, and the duration of symptoms are scored.

 

This was a turning point in quickly and accurately diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis.

 

An official from the association said, "It is understood that rheumatoid arthritis is being diagnosed well compared to the past due to the recent continuous development of diagnostic methods and the increase in disease awareness.

 

However, there are patients who do not know the disease well yet and do not receive proper treatment, or who need pain improvement even if they receive treatment," he said.

 

In fact, since bony erosion occurs in about 60-70% of rheumatoid arthritis within two years of the outbreak, rapid diagnosis and drug treatment are important to prevent the progression of the disease.

 

However, there are still patients with poor treatment prognosis, so more diverse treatment options are required.

 

In an overseas meta-analysis study of about 80,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the rate of achieving remission was found to be only about 20% despite biological two-year treatment.

 

As time goes by, various drugs are introduced, creating a smooth treatment environment.

 

The latest treatments, such as biological drugs and JAK inhibitors introduced since the 2000s, are showing effects on patients who lack treatment effects with existing treatments or have difficulty improving symptoms.

 

Among them, the most recently introduced JAK inhibitors show significant results in clinical remission, pain, and improvement of body function.

 

Although these drugs differ slightly, they show significant improvements compared to anti-TNF drugs in the rate of reaching various criteria.

 

"With the recent introduction of accurate diagnostic standards and new drugs, the treatment environment for rheumatoid arthritis has been dramatically improved.

 

As it is possible to achieve and improve pain through the introduction of continuous treatments such as JAK inhibitors, if you have symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, please visit the rheumatoid internal medicine immediately for an accurate examination.