Ford JA, Liu X, Marshall AA, et al. - By performing this retrospective cohort analysis, researchers assessed the risk of progression to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who were cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody positive without RA at initial presentation. The participants were recruited from a US tertiary care system and were observed during 1,047 person-years of follow-up. During this time frame, RA development was reported in 73 patients (21.5%). They found a strong link of medium and high CCP antibody levels with progression to RA, vs low CCP antibody level, adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, family history of RA, and rheumatoid factor level. Findings revealed a substantial rise in the risk for progression to RA with increasing CCP antibody level in CCP+ patients without RA. Close monitoring for RA occurrence in CCP+ patients and detection of strategies to alleviate this risk was further supported.