TY - JOUR T1 - The Need for SPACE to Plan the Future for Spondyloarthritis JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 341 LP - 342 DO - 10.3899/jrheum.211212 VL - 49 IS - 4 AU - Mark Hwang AU - Michael H. Weisman Y1 - 2022/04/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/49/4/341.abstract N2 - “Lifestyle Factors and Disease Activity Over Time in Early Axial Spondyloarthritis: The SPondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) Cohort” by Exarchou et al aimed at looking at the importance of baseline lifestyle factors of BMI, smoking, and alcohol consumption (AC) on disease activity in recent-onset axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).1 Does this study add to our knowledge of the natural history of axSpA? Does it help us design a potential intervention strategy that, in addition to pharmacologic management, could make a difference? We think it does, and here we explain our reasoning.First, was this cohort really axSpA as we know it in the clinic? The answer is a resounding yes. The patients in the SPACE cohort had chronic lower back pain of ≥ 3 months to ≤ 2 years in duration and were < 45 years of age.2 They had a probably of a definitive diagnosis of axSpA (≥ 6 on a 0–10 scale of confidence) by expert opinion at baseline in this multicenter, multinational study. Disease activity, defined by the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease … Address correspondence to Dr. M.H. Weisman, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 Beverly Bl, #B-131, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. Email: Michael.Weisman{at}cshs.org. ER -