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The RheumNow Week in Review - 9 March 2018

Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights, news and recent research published this past week on RheumNow.com. This week's report includes news on new regulatory changes, new indication for tofacitinib, the rise and deficits of opioids and the benefits of fish and bariatric surgery.

  1. 30 pts with GCA were assessed by MRA - Less than half had normal MRA at baseline and MRA were weakly sensitive to Clinical change. This preliminary report suggests MRA is NOT useful or predictive in MRA https://t.co/aheWOMKtCE
  2. NICE reverses its Dec 2017 rejection and now approves Tocilizumab for use in Giant Cell Arteritis - specifically those with repeated relapses, or those who don't respond to steroids. https://t.co/tOmacr9ymX
  3. Comparing patients who travel by air vs those by land to/from hospital after TKR, THR, finds 3 fold higher rates of VTE (1.64% vs 0.58%) https://t.co/lFPk510fSv
  4. Study of 176 RA patients shows that those who eat fish 2 or more times per week have better disease control with significantly lower DAS28 scores. For each additional serving of fish per week, DAS28-CRP was significantly reduced by 0.18. https://t.co/vbsyv0SxSU
  5. Compared to diet/lifestyle modification in obese diabetic pts - bariatric surgery surgery patients are more likely to go off DM meds; 17 X more likely with gastric bypass, 7X more likely w/ Sleeve gastrectomy & 4X more likely w/ gastric lap band surgery. https://t.co/vYY2K0ow7J
  6. HUMOR trial - 51 pts shows that Humira is NOT effective in erosive OA - does not reduce pain, synovitis or BMLs after 12 weeks. https://t.co/bet8amKDZ9
  7. Rituximab associated adverse events are more common in treating lymphoma/leukemia ( 25-36%) than with autoimmune disease (9-17%) and are more common with splenomegaly, anemia, hx of allergies, age. https://t.co/gUREPFvbUb
  8. Tofacitinib - No dose adjustment is needed with mild renal impairment. Drug has not been studied in RA/PsA pts with baseline creatinine clearance < 40 mL/ min https://t.co/AvgEzObEAa
  9. FDA Panel Votes to Favor High Dose Xeljanz in Ulcerative Colitis  
  10. Opioid Overdoses Jump 30% in 2017 
  11. Opioids No Better than NSAIDs at Chronic Pain  
  12. Severe Stevens-Johnson and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Syndromes May Respond to Etanercept  

 

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The author has received compensation as an advisor or consultant on this subject