Approaches to the management of rheumatoid arthritis: rationale for early combination therapy.

In evaluating current therapy of RA, it is becoming recognized that sequential single drug treatment, as exemplified by the traditional therapeutic pyramid, is often too little and too late in patients with aggressive 'at risk' synovitis. Evidence exists that prevention of joint damage correlates best with control of clinical and laboratory measures of inflammation, regardless of the medication used. Until a major breakthrough occurs in this disease, it is recommended that patients with 'at risk' RA be treated aggressively to achieve early control of inflammation, and then 'bridge down' to a simplified maintenance programme. While currently available fast and slow acting drugs might be used in combination today for early induction therapy, newer drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic preparations, biologic agents, or novel therapies may prove more effective and superior tomorrow. Control trials will be necessary to establish the most effective and least toxic induction and maintenance programmes.