Over the past decade, we have witnessed an explosion in the use of biologic therapies to treat rheumatic diseases. While “cures” remain elusive, clinically meaningful remission for specific subsets of patients is now achievable. However, this “golden age for rheumatology” may not be universally accessible across the globe. As co-editors of Arthritis Research and Therapy, we decided that it would be timely to understand the issues that encourage or prevent engagement with this “golden age” from investigators around the world. In this series, we have asked them to give their perspective of the state of rheumatology in their geographic area. Our goal is to inform and challenge our readership and current stakeholders in rheumatology to work together for our patients in order to understand and therefore overcome any geographic limitations that prevent a more universal approach to the scientific assessment and clinical treatment of patients with rheumatic diseases. We hope that these Commentaries will inspire the next generation of rheumatologists who will identify the barriers to progress allowing for the continued upward trajectory of our area of specificity and provide the highest quality of treatment to our patient population regardless of their location. After all, “art is me; science is we”.
Rheumatology in East Asia
Europe and North America have been leaders in rheumatology for many years. However, for more than a decade now the East Asian region has been catching up dramatically. Some aspects of rheumatology in East Asia...