Early recognition and treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are important to prevent joint damage and disability in the patients with RA.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           When to suspect

1. Constitutional symptoms – Many patients with RA may present with constitutional symptoms. These symptoms may include unintentional weight loss, generalized weakness, fatigue, fever, anemia, and muscle pain.
2. Morning stiffness is the hallmark of an inflammatory arthritis. Morning stiffness is generally characterized by difficulty mobilizing the joints after a prolonged period of rest.
3. Joint manifestations – In general, the patient will notice joint pain and swelling that predominantly affects the small joints of the hands and feet.
4. Elevations of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ЕSR) and/or C-reactive protein (СRΡ) level are consistent with the presence of an inflammatory state, such as RΑ.