Dr. Charlene Balton

Charlene Balton is a South African clinician-researcher in rheumatology whose work centers on evidence-based guideline development and context-specific care for inflammatory joint diseases. Her scholarship reflects a strong commitment to improving patient outcomes through multidisciplinary, locally relevant recommendations within the South African healthcare setting.

Her publications address axial spondyloarthritis management and cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis, emphasizing early diagnosis, structured disease activity assessment, comorbidity screening, and lifestyle intervention. She contributes to national guidance that integrates imaging, pharmacologic strategies, and preventive care, while highlighting disparities between high-income and middle-income contexts.

Balton’s research underscores the need for tailored cardiovascular risk assessment tools and equitable care models for African populations with rheumatic disease. Current analysis is based on limited available publications, which nonetheless demonstrate expertise in consensus building, guideline formulation, and holistic rheumatology practice.