A simple blood test may allow doctors to identify a debilitating form of arthritis years before any symptoms appear, which may help to stop the disease in its tracks, new research suggests. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which affects an estimated 1.3 million Americans, is an autoimmune disease that attacks the joints, causing inflammation, pain, and swelling…

Eric Matteson, MD, the chairman of the rheumatology department at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, in Rochester, Minn., calls the new findings “a step in the right direction,” but says that it is premature to conclude that a blood test can predict who will develop rheumatoid arthritis with any degree of certainty.

Health.com, by Denise Mann, 1/28/2010

Tags: rheumatoid arthritis, Rheumatology