In 2025, I had the opportunity to speak to GPs about the “pearls and pitfalls” of rheumatology—sharing what’s new, what remains challenging, and how this affects patients.
Rheumatology is a broad field covering conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, and many others. One of the key pitfalls remains the same: diagnosis can be delayed because symptoms, such as pain, fatigue, and stiffness, overlap with other conditions. For women especially, these symptoms are sometimes under-recognised, which can lead to frustration and uncertainty before reaching the right diagnosis.
But there are also pearls—important advances that are changing lives. We now have new biologic and targeted synthetic therapies, giving more treatment options for those who don’t respond to traditional medicines. Improved imaging and blood tests mean earlier detection, and there’s growing emphasis on personalised medicine, tailoring treatment to the individual rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
I also highlighted the importance of lifestyle factors: exercise, diet, and mental wellbeing are all powerful tools alongside medication.
The key message of my talk was that listening to patients’ stories and acting early can make the biggest difference. With the progress we’ve made by 2025, there is more hope than ever for people living with rheumatic disease.