Prevention of rheumatoid arthritis using a familial predictive medicine approach

Abstract

Most of the chronic-degenerative diseases deserve a very early recognition of symptoms and signs for the earliest secondary prevention, which could be also very useful in many cases for the most precocious clinical approach. The periodic monitoring of a subject at risk of a specific disease, because of genomic predisposition by predictive medicine approach, may help to earlier detection of onset and/or the progression of the pathology itself, through intra-individual monitoring. This is particularly the case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for which an early diagnosis is undoubtedly the first step to ensure the most proper therapy for the patient. Thus, the earlier identification of individuals at high risk of RA could lead to ultra-preventive strategies to start for the best lifestyle performances and/or for any other effective therapeutic interventions to contrast the onset, and/or the evolution of the putative RA. This will also optimize both costs and medical resources, according to the health care policies of many countries.