Can baseline HALP score predict clinical outcomes and biologic therapy need in patients with rheumatoid arthritis?

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and systemic effects, with biomarkers used to assess disease burden. The HALP score, based on hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet levels, is being studied as a potential indicator of inflammation and nutrition. This study aimed to evaluate whether the baseline HALP score was associated with subsequent disease activity and treatment patterns in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly biologic therapy use.Methods This cross-sectional study included 130 RA patients grouped by disease activity and treatment regimen (DMARDs only, biologics only, combination therapy). HALP scores were calculated and analyzed alongside clinical variables using Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA, and correlation analyses.Results The mean HALP score was significantly higher in male patients compared to females (p = 0.010). No statistically significant associations were found between HALP scores and age, age at diagnosis, or disease duration. Patients on DMARDs alone showed higher disease activity than those on biologics or combination therapy (p = 0.018). However, HALP scores did not correlate significantly with DAS28 (p = 0.949) or treatment type (p = 0.767).Conclusion While the HALP score showed gender-based differences and may reflect certain inflammatory or nutritional aspects, baseline HALP score was not significantly associated with subsequent disease activity or current treatment patterns in this cohort. However, further prospective studies using contemporaneous laboratory and clinical assessments are required to determine its independent clinical utility in rheumatoid arthritis.