BACKGROUND/AIMS@#To identify the factors associated with
time to
diagnosis after symptom onset in
patients with early
rheumatoid arthritis (RA).@*
METHODS@#Early RA
patients with ≤ 1 year of
disease duration in the KORean
Observational study Network for
Arthritis (KORONA) database were included in this
analysis.
Patients were further divided into two groups according to the
time to
diagnosis from symptom onset the
early diagnosis group (
time to
diagnosis ≤ 1 year) and the
late diagnosis group (
time to
diagnosis > 1 year). Using the multivariable regression model, we identified factors associated with
early diagnosis.@*RESULTS@#Among 714 early RA
patients, 401
patients (56.2%) and 313
patients (43.8%) were included in the
early diagnosis and
late diagnosis groups, respectively. The mean
disease duration was 0.47 years in the
early diagnosis group and 0.45 years in the
late diagnosis group. In multivariable model
analysis, greater
age at onset (
odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95%
confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 1.05),
high school education or higher (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.14 to 2.47), higher
income (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.08), and initial small
joint involvement (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.98) were factors associated with
early diagnosis. At
diagnosis,
disease activity scores using 28
joints on
diagnosis (3.81 ± 1.44 vs. 3.82 ± 1.42, p = 0.92) and functional disability (0.65 ± 0.61 vs. 0.57 ± 0.62, p = 0.07) did not different between the two groups. However,
hand joint erosion on
X-ray (37.8% vs. 25.6%, p < 0.01) was more common in the
late diagnosis group than the
early diagnosis group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Older
onset age, higher
educational level and
income, and initial small
joint involvement were positive factors for
early diagnosis of RA.