Aug 25, 2026 · 37 min · 10 segments
Rheumatoid arthritis may begin years before the first swollen joint appears, with autoantibodies circulating long before a clinical diagnosis is made. In this episode, we explore what happens during…
John HausmannHost
[upbeat music] Welcome back to another episode of ACR On Air, the official podcast of the American College of Rheumatology.
We try to diagnose it quickly, treat it aggressively, and take advantage of that window of opportunity before irreversible damage occurs.
But what if we're still starting too late? For many patients, rheumatoid arthritis begins years before the first swollen joint.
Autoantibodies can circulate for three, five, sometimes even 10 years before disease is actually diagnosed.
Something is happening, perhaps in the lungs, in the gums, or in the gut, long before we ever diagnose rheumatoid arthritis in the clinic.
But is there anything we can do to stop rheumatoid arthritis before it begins? My guest today is Dr.
Kevin Dean, one of the leading researchers trying to understand exactly how rheumatoid arthritis develops and how we might eventually prevent it.
Dean is director of the Autoimmune Disease Prevention Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz, and he's also professor of medicine and endowed chair for rheumatology research.
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[upbeat music] Welcome back to another episode of ACR On Air, the official podcast of the American College of Rheumatology.
We try to diagnose it quickly, treat it aggressively, and take advantage of that window of opportunity before irreversible damage occurs.
But what if we're still starting too late? For many patients, rheumatoid arthritis begins years before the first swollen joint.
Autoantibodies can circulate for three, five, sometimes even 10 years before disease is actually diagnosed.
Something is happening, perhaps in the lungs, in the gums, or in the gut, long before we ever diagnose rheumatoid arthritis in the clinic.
But is there anything we can do to stop rheumatoid arthritis before it begins? My guest today is Dr.
Kevin Dean, one of the leading researchers trying to understand exactly how rheumatoid arthritis develops and how we might eventually prevent it.
Dean is director of the Autoimmune Disease Prevention Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz, and he's also professor of medicine and endowed chair for rheumatology research.
