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Reumatoidni artritis (RA) kronična je, progresivna upalna reumatska bolest koja dovodi do oštećenja zglobova, funkcionalnog ograničenja i smanjenja kvalitete života. Bolest je potrebno što prije prepoznati, u fazi ranog artritisa, dok postoji “prozor mogućnosti” u kojem se primjenom adekvatnog liječenja mogu prevenirati strukturna oštećenja. Kako klinička prezentacija nije uvijek tipična, rano prepoznavanje zahtijeva umješnost, kliničko iskustvo te suradnju reumatologa, liječnika obiteljske medicine i samog bolesnika. Liječenje treba započeti odmah, a odluku o načinu liječenja donosi reumatolog individualnim pristupom i u suradnji s bolesnikom. Potrebno je prepoznati bolesnike s rizikom težeg tijeka bolesti, naročito one s visokim titrom protutijela na cikličke citrulinirane peptide (anti-CCP) te ranom pojavom erozija jer ti bolesnici zahtijevaju agresivniji pristup u liječenju. Cilj liječenja je postizanje remisije ili barem niske aktivnosti bolesti U liječenju se koriste lijekovi koji mijenjaju tijek bolesti (DMARD) sintetski i biološki, nesteroidni protuupalni lijekovi, glukokortikoidi i analgetici te iznimno citostatici. RA ima fluktuirajući tijek s izmjenama faza pogoršanja i remisije bolesti, a vrlo je važno pravodobno prepoznati pogoršanje radi intenziviranja liječenja ili promijene terapijske sheme. Poseban problem predstavlja glukokortikoidima inducirana osteoporoza (GIO) koju treba prevenirati preparatima kalcija i vitamina D, a liječiti antiresorptivnim i osteoanabolnim lijekovima. U skrbi bolesnika s RA važno je uz liječenje osnovne bolesti sagledati i zbrinjavati komorbiditete, neželjene učinke liječenja, komplikacije bolesti te psihosocijalne aspekte kronične bolesti., Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease which leads to joint damage, functional impairment and reduced quality of life. The disease should be recognized early when there is a “window of opportunity” to apply adequate treatment which may prevent structural damage. As clinical presentation of RA is not always typical, great knowledge and clinical experience, including collaboration of rheumatologist, general practitioner and patient, are required. The treatment should be started immediately upon the diagnosis, while the choice of modality of treatment depends on the rheumatologist in accordance with the patient. The RA patients with the higher risk of aggressive disease need to be recognized because they require more aggressive treatment from the start. The goal of the treatment is remission or at least low disease activity. Current treatment of RA includes disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) synthetics and biologics, nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, analgesics, and rarely cytostatics. The course of disease is usually fluctuating with the exchange of relapses and remissions. Recognition of the relapsing patient on time enables treatment intensification or modifications in treatment scheme. Special issue in RA represents glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) which should be prevented by usage of calcium and vitamin D supplements and treated by antiresorptive or osteoanabolic agents. Besides the treatment of the primary disease, the care of RA patients should consider comorbidities, side effects of treatment, complications of disease, and psychosocial aspects of chronic disease.