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Blood Tests for Rhumatoid Arthritis

A doctor normally orders a blood test in order to determine if a patient has arthritis. With Rheumatoid arthritis many different factors can help diagnose the condition.

  1. Rheumatoid Factor

    • The rheumatoid factor found in blood test is normally elevated in a person with rheumatoid arthritis and will usually increase over the years.

    Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

    • This blood test gives a result of the amount of inflammation in a person's body. It will measure how quickly the red blood cells or erythrocyte will drop to the bottom of the tube.

    Antinuclear Antibody

    • This blood test is used with other test to determine the presents of rheumatoid arthritis. It establishes whether the protein in your body, which is produced by white blood cells, can defend itself and fight off diseases or bacteria.

    Anti-CCP

    • Anti-CCP, also known as anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, is a new type of blood test being used to look at levels for joint damage and to determine the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

    Blood Count (CBC)

    • A doctor will take into consideration the patient's blood count when diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis. The physician looks at the white blood cells for elevated levels determining inflammation is present.

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