New Delhi, Sep 25: Scientists have discovered that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) silently starts years earlier, long before symptoms appear, an advance that may pave the way for earlier treatment and prevention.

RA is a debilitating autoimmune disease that causes painful joint inflammation and damage.

The new research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, reveals that during the early phase of RA, the body fights an autoimmune battle invisibly.

This wasn’t a localised joint inflammation, but rather a body-wide inflammatory state that resembles what’s seen in people with active RA.

“Overall, we hope this study raises awareness that rheumatoid arthritis begins much earlier than previously thought and that it enables researchers to make data-driven decisions on strategies

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