CAN WE PREDICT AGGRESSIVE DISEASE

This chapter will describe the reasons why prognostic factors that pre dict aggressive disease are helpful and what the problems are in inter preting studies in this field. A summary of cohort studies on prognosi s of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis are presented. This is d one separately for studies predicting radiographic damage, functional outcome and mortality. The overall conclusions of these studies and th e value they have for the clinician are demonstrated.