Flares of rheumatoid arthritis have been linked to higher disease activity, lower quality of life, and increased radiographic progression.
References:
1. Bechman K, Tweehuysen L, Garrood T, et al. Flares in rheumatoid arthritis patients with low disease activity: predictability and association with worse clinical outcomes. J Rheumatol. 2018;45:1515-1521. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.171375.
Bechman and colleagues1 in the UK and the Netherlands have linked flares of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during periods of low disease activity to higher disease activity, lower quality of life, and increased radiographic progression. Scroll through the slides for the details of their study and the take-home points for clinicians.