A patient often says that he was checked in the hospital for high rheumatoid factor, is it rheumatoid arthritis? Here is the answer. A higher than normal rheumatoid factor is not unique to rheumatoid arthritis, but can be found in a wide range of acute and chronic inflammatory conditions (see table), and can even be found in a small percentage of healthy people. Therefore, the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis should not be based solely on a positive rheumatoid factor. However, if the rheumatoid factor titer is very high, rheumatoid arthritis may develop several years later. Early diagnosis of rheumatic immune diseases is sometimes difficult and requires close attention to clinical manifestations and regular review of relevant indicators.