Page 34 - THE EVOLUTION OF EARLY ARTHRITIS AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK Samina A. Turk

CHAPTER 2
Fig 2. Flowchart search strategy
SUMMARY
There is a trend toward increasingly sophisticated prediction models for RA in different stages of risk. However, further work is needed to combine patient-level information with the published promising biomarkers into more robust models. For example, mod- els for relatives of patients with RA, reflecting the early at-risk stage, depend largely on personal characteristics and genetic risk, whereas models for patients with arthralgia that reflect the late at-risk stage need to include patient-related and symptom charac- teristics in combination with biomarkers of autoimmunity and inflammation. In view of the vague and unspecific first symptoms of many patients who later develop RA, it will be necessary to better characterize and measure these symptoms in future models. (179)
However, because much is known about the risks for developing RA, it is already possi- ble to use this information to design preventive interventions in persons at high risk for RA. At least in the late preclinical stage, several such interventions are currently being tested or planned.(180)
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