ABSTRACT
There is abundant evidence that early disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) improves clinical and laboratory parameters five years after initiation of therapy. Delayed introduction of DMARDs is associated with a less favourable outcome in terms of morbidity and mortality. There are clear analogies with tight control of hypertension and diabetes: early and sustained suppression of disease confers long-term advantages.
