The present analysis was performed to determine the longitudinal relationship between persistent disease activity, estimated by the time-integrated values (area under the curve-AUC) of DAS 28 joint (DAS28) based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) and subsequent radiographic progression of anatomical damage, in a cohort of patients with RA who were seen (and treated) by rheumatologists very early. Here, CRP is linked to rheumatoid arthritis.