New home test detects rheumatoid arthritis 10 years before symptoms appear

Jan. 4, 2011 - PRLog -- A new testing kit that can be safely used at home can detect if a patient has rheumatoid arthritis up to 10 years before physical symptoms appear. With over 350,000 people in the UK suffering from this painful and debilitating disease, early detection can make a big difference to the outcome and the patient’s quality of life.

Modifying diet and lifestyle can delay the onset of physical symptoms and starting treatment early can both slow the progression of the disease and avoid the permanent joint damage that the condition can cause.  This was confirmed by a recent study conducted in Holland published in the scientific publication, Arthritis and Rheumatism*.

Previously only available in hospitals, CCPoint is now available from a patient dedicated website www.arthritishometest.com.  This testing kit is highly specific as it only detects antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP), a protein that is produced by patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.  This simple test can be performed safely at home in only 10 minutes and detects the disease from just a few drops of blood.    

As patients with rheumatoid arthritis produce CCP many years before symptoms appear, early detection means patients can take the necessary steps to minimise the effect and the long term adverse effects of the disease.

Mike Younghusband, managing director of Ivitech, the UK distributor commented, “Science has yet to come up with a cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Although symptoms can appear at any age, it usually starts between the ages of 40 and 50, so it’s important to begin treatment early to both improve the quality of life for patients, and to prevent permanent damage to the joints.”

CCPoint does not need a prescription and costs £25 from www.arthritishometest.com

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Invitech was set up in 2008 to provide a more cost effective alternative to Point of Care testing in diagnostics. Managing director Mike Younghusband has over 35 years experience in diagnostics, both in laboratories & with leading diagnostic suppliers.