The tests can help detect conditions associated with psoriatic arthritis, too, such as heart disease.
A physician may also closely monitor your blood pressure orcholesterol levelsto assess cardiac risk factors, Cadet says.
Here are 12 key medical tests that can help detect and monitor psoriatic arthritis.
Any of these changes indicate that the disease is getting worse, Dr. Rubenstein says.
After that, how often you have X-rays depends on your physician and the state of your disease.
The procedure is painless and, unlike X-ray imaging, does not emit radiation.
A radiologist analyzes the MRI, then reports back to the rheumatologist.
Inflammation, swelling, and bone erosion all indicate that psoriatic arthritis is active, notes Rubenstein.
The test measures how many milliliters of red blood cells settle per hour in a vial of blood.
Age is also a factor.
ESR can be elevated slightly in elderly patients and still be normal for that person, she says.
If a blood test shows high CRP levels, you might have psoriatic arthritis, explains Dr. Husni.
Again, different labs may have slightly different interpretations of readings.
Frequency of TestingThis is usually done only at the initial diagnostic appointment, says Rubenstein.
Roughly 8 to 16 percent of people with psoriatic arthritis will test positive for anti-CCPs, says Rubenstein.
Frequency of TestingThe anti-CCP test is typically done in a patients initial evaluation.
Symptoms include fever, night sweats, chills, coughing, weight loss, and fatigue.
By suppressing the immune system, these medications may reactivatelatent (inactive) tuberculosis.
There are two kinds of TB tests: a skin test and a blood test.
A TB blood test assesses whether the body has launched an immune response to the presence ofM.
The test is done in a lab after a blood sample is drawn.
Frequency of TestingTesting may be done several times a year, says Cadet.
The denser the bones, the stronger and healthier they are.
And psoriatic arthritis itself is associated with a decrease in bone mineral density, notes Rubenstein.
In people with psoriatic arthritis, treatments that reduce inflammation also help with anemia, explains Cadet.
Additional reporting byJulia Califano.
Dr. Biggee also works as a healthcare wellness consultant forSynergy Wellness Centerin Hudson, Massachusetts.
Dr. Biggee brings a human-centered approach to wellness rather than focusing solely on diseases.
She was preceptor for the Lawrence General Hospital Family Medicine Residency.
