a recent blood test showed that my serum rheumatoid antigen level was 82u/L, as the normal range is 0-13 should I be worried?
7/ 5/09 1:07pm
RA factor blood tests are one way to help diagnose RA. It is not 100% accurate. There are people with positive tests who never show RA symptoms. 20-30% of people with RA symptoms do not test positive (my last test was 14 and I have the symptoms). Researchers have demonstrated that those with positive RA factor tests typically (but not always) show more aggressive forms of RA. RA is a clinical diagnosis based primarly on symptoms and blood tests are but one set of data used in the process.
You need to work closely with your doctor to determine what this means for you. If you are not experiencing typical RA symptoms at the time, that may mean just monitoring things. If you are, then treatment options need to be determined.
7/ 5/09 1:12pm
You should also read this excellent interview on this site with a doc about blood tests...
http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/tests-288101-5.htm
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By 4mrsh— Last Modified: 12/26/10, First Published: 07/04/09
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