Psoriatic Arthritis Tied to Delays in Diagnosis Compared With Rheumatoid Arthritis

WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have delays in diagnosis compared with those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online March 29 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Rachel A. Charlton, Ph.D., from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, and colleagues compared time to diagnosis among patients with PsA and patients with RA. The analysis included 2,120 patients with PsA matched to patients with RA.

The researchers found that symptom duration before referral was longer in patients with PsA than in those with RA. Patients with PsA had a longer time from general practitioner presentation to diagnosis (mean, 112 versus 89 days; hazard ratio [HR], 0.87), including a delay in diagnosis once referrals were received in secondary care (HR, 0.86). For those with polyarticular disease, fewer disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs were prescribed at baseline for PsA versus RA (54.0 and 69.0 percent, respectively). At baseline, patients with RA had a higher Disease Activity Score in 28 joints, but by three months, the average score was higher in patients with PsA.

“These findings highlight the need for education both of patients and the clinical team, to support earlier diagnosis and treatment, thus improving longer-term outcomes,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text