All News
Arthritis - a Leading Chronic Condition Among Young Adults (18─34 Yrs)
MMWR from last week focused on chronic conditions in young adults showing they are common, costly, and major causes of death and disability. Overall arthritis ranks behind five more common chronic condition in young adults - obesity, depression, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and asthma.
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Cytomegalovirus Increases Thromboembolism Risk in ANCA-associated Vasculitis
Infection may play an important role in the genesis of vasculitis and ANCA seropositivity; this report suggests that past cytomegalovirus infection may be a risk in the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis.
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Less Organ Damage with Remission in SLE
A cohort study of SLE patients shows that remission and low disease activity (LDA) are associated with less damage accrual over time.
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Utility of Repeat ENA Antibody Testing
Repeat serologic testing is not uncommon, but is it warranted? A retrospective study shows that repeated testing for autoantibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) rarely changes the result or adds a new diagnosis.
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Fatigue is Under-Appreciated in Psoriatic Arthritis
Patient-reported fatigue is high in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and often goes under-recognized by physicians. Fatigue importantly impacts physical functioning, work productivity, and health related quality of life (HRQoL).
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Increased Mortality in Giant Cell Arteritis
A population-based study from Ontario, Canada suggests an increased mortality risk in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), according to a recent report in Arthritis Care & Research.
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CDC Reviews Monkeypox
MMWR recently reviewed the epidemiology and characteristics of U.S. monkeypox cases seen between May and July 2022.
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More Bad Safety News for Xeljanz
Another analysis of the mandatory postmarketing safety study for tofacitinib (Xeljanz) has confirmed what most observers expected: that rates of infection with the drug in rheumatoid arthritis are higher than with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.
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JAK Inhibitors in Difficult Still’s Disease
A small retrospective study suggests that patients with difficult to treat adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) or sytemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) may respond well to JAK inhibitor (JAKi) agents - presumable by blocking pro-inflammatory cytokines, notably IL-6 and IFN.
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The Great Unknowns (8.5.2022)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, FDA approvals, journal articles from the past week on RheumNow; plus viewer questions. This week great hopes for vitamin D, the great unknows of CSA and the great big mess that is the gout.
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ACR Updated Guideline on Vaccinations for Rheumatic Patients
The ACR has posted a new ACR Clinical Practice Guideline Summary providing recommendations on the use of vaccinations for children and adults with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).
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Gout Flares Up Cardiac Risks
A large case-control study showed that gout patients who experienced a cardiovascular (CV) event were more likely to have had a recent (< 120 days) gout flare compared to those without CV events.
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The Approach to Difficult to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
Tan and Buch have reviewed the approach to difficult to treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T-RA), with a new EULAR definiation of D2T-RA to foster an approach rationale and concideration of treatment options.
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Supplemental Vitamin D Fails to Lower Fracture Risk
NEJM has published study results showing that vitamin D3 supplementation does not significantly lower fracture risk (vs. placebo) when used in generally healthy adults.
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Krill Oil Effective in Knee Osteoarthritis
Krill oil supplements in knee osteoarthritis (OA) was shown to be superior to placebo in reducing knee pain, stiffness and function while increasing the omega-3 index.
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Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Inhibitor in Cutaneous Lupus
Litifilimab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against BDCA2, targets the BDCA2 receptor on plasmacytoid dendritic cells. When administered to patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) was shown reducing disease activity in CLE patients.
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Upadacitinib in non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis
The janus kinase inhibitor, upadacitinib, has been shown to significantly improve the signs and symptoms of non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-AxSpA), extending the efficacy of UPA beyond classic ankylosing spondylitis.
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Not Still’s – Now What?
Your patient doesn't meet criteria for Still’s disease (AOSD or sJIA), now what should you do or consider?
What you do or consider next can be addressed according to the stage of current disease: A) Hospitalized Febrile Disease, or B) Outpatient “Still’s” Disease.
Approach to ILD in Myositis Syndromes
Mehta et al have published a full read review of managing interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with inflammatory myopathies, a heterogeneous group of syndromes connected by ILD and and increased morbidity and mortality risk.
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Rheumatic Causes for Fever of Unknown Origin
Fever of unknown origin (FUO) represents a diagnostic challenge to many physicians and while cancer and infectious causes need to be excluded, rheumatic disorders are amongst the most common causes of FUO.
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