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Previous Volume 350:2591-2602 June 17, 2004 Number 25 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic, systemic, inflammatory autoimmune disease, has as its primary target the synovial tissues. When the disease is unchecked, it leads to substantial disability and premature death.¹ It affects approximately 0.8 percent of adults worldwide,² is more common in women (by a ratio of 3 to 1), and has an earlier onset in women, frequently beginning in the childbearing years.³ Recent advances in understanding the cytokine networks that are responsible for the ongoing inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis⁴ have led to the successful use of therapies that target tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) and interleukin-1.⁵ (These therapies were . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Early Diagnosis and Treatment

General Therapeutic Principles

Medications

NSAIDs

Corticosteroids

Synthetic DMARDs

Biologic DMARDs

Combination Therapy with DMARDs

Initial Treatment

Therapy for Established Rheumatoid Arthritis

Coexisting Illnesses

Current Challenges

Source Information

From the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center; and the Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center — both in Omaha.

Address reprint requests to Dr. O'Dell at the Department of Internal Medicine, 983025 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3025, or at jrodell@unmc.edu.

Related Letters:

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Burchini G., Orsi C., Bhattacharya N., O'Dell J. R.
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N Engl J Med 2004; 351:1360-1361, Sep 23, 2004. Correspondence

New Drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Messori A., Santarlasci B., Vaiani M.
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N Engl J Med 2004; 351:937-938, Aug 26, 2004. Correspondence

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