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Bad News Coronary Artery Calcium in Rheumatic Patients
A recent presentation at the 2024 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography meeting by Brittany Weber MD, PhD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital) has shown that incidental findings of coronary artery calcium on chest CTs in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases may be associated with poorer outcomes, even if they don’t have preexisting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Read ArticleEarlier RA Diagnosis Leads to Lower Costs of Care
A study from the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic shows that is rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is diagnosed within 12 weeks after symptom onset, treatment costs were lower in both autoantibody-negative and autoantibody-positive RA.

From LG cohort of myeloid neoplasms (861 MDS, 640 AML, 112 MDS/MPN, 89 MPN) autoimmune Rheum Dz (AIRD) found in 7.7% (lit suggests 8-30%), less in AML (4.7% vs 9.5% others). Common: RA (42%), CTD(18%), PMR (14%), vasculitis (12%), AxSpA (7%). https://t.co/ZXxOrZBunZ https://t.co/m5nIgrhohw
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SLE Topic Panel: EULAR 2024
Dr.Jack Cush moderates this topic panel on SLE with Drs. Yuz Yusof and Andrea Fava.
https://t.co/nBTiIeGd99 https://t.co/5BK72vbR5V
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Australian Womens survey, from 25 467 responders the prevalence of #RA varies by how defined - 3·9% for self-reported RA, 1·9% based on the medication dispensed, and 0·5% by self-reported medication use definitions. https://t.co/2FUwftajlG https://t.co/4a5CIfw8hS
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3 yr German laboratory study of 71,597 laboratory tests, found 238 positive tests for 13 myositis autoAbs in 209 patients. Pos. results due to Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in 37(18%), other inflammatory rheum Dz 90 (43%) or NO Rheum Dx 82 (39%) https://t.co/KKg0X1AyU1 https://t.co/FfVfufaUm4
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JAK Inhibitors Reduce Macular Degeneration
Insurance claims data showed that patients with autoimmune disorders who took JAK inhibitors had lower rates of AMD, hinting that the drugs might treat the common eye disease.
https://t.co/bx0UCp0o3r https://t.co/FXSlcFHYXI
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Geography of Arthritis-attributable Pain in the USA
The journal Pain highlights geographic differences in arthritis pain and outcomes, mainly in the Deep South and Appalachia. Severe arthritis pain is more prevalent in the SW, PNW, GA, FL, and ME regions.
https://t.co/e4VuUDWoQt https://t.co/onHbLjAyHx
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JAMA Patient Education Handout on Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)
https://t.co/J1rpcRltM3 https://t.co/gEUcbE1FuP
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Updated EULAR Recommendations on the Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis
Medscape has published an overview to the 2024 updated recommendations for the treatment of SSc presented in Vienna at EULAR 2024.
https://t.co/rmBIfNzJcu https://t.co/uZ2JUdsecZ
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Retrospective study, biopsy-proven Lupus Nephritis pts - 35 of 115 pts (30%) were ANCA positive. ANCA+ LN pts had higher dz activity, predominantly proliferative LN, require more immunosuppressives (CTX, MMF) to achieve remission. https://t.co/jzU8fPYHps https://t.co/E7pMDWJmKt
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Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma
Systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma (ssSSc), which accounts for nearly 10% of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and was first described in 1962, is a subset of SSc.
https://t.co/5NMykTHEtK https://t.co/JNo27zaTrJ
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174 Active RA pts not responding to MTX were started on TCZ. High GM-CSF (> 5 ng/ml and > 10 ng/ml) at baseline were the independent predictors of poor response to TCZ at Wk24. high GM-CSF had signif higher DAS28-ESR & cytokine levels at baseline https://t.co/AreLBseJDq https://t.co/OyIOkiUOT1
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268/279 SLE pts w/ kidney biopsy for proteinuria were Dx w/ lupus nephritis. Proliferative LN (III/IV+V) had higher levels of C1q, chromatin, dsDNA, ribosomal P Abs. C1q & dsDNA independently assoc w/ proliferative LN. AutoAbs decreased in proliferative LN https://t.co/oq3JhrFlz8 https://t.co/nxQBZvoOzP
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Full read overview of myositis associated - ILD (and treatments), including:
- Case examples
- Antisynthetase Syndrome
- Anti-MDA5 Amyopathic DM
- Interstitial Lung Disease in Myositis https://t.co/PhfuuBHOYf https://t.co/OC1GmWkYyO
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Problems With Laboratory Tests in the Management of RA
https://t.co/kUYivP7SHW https://t.co/nFtB75N0jQ
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Enhance your clinical practice with insights from the EULAR 2024 Poster Hall Presentations, now on https://t.co/V10S4oVFsv. This year's conference showcases pivotal research in rheumatology. Visit https://t.co/gL38TVZRkM to stay at the forefront of medical innovation. https://t.co/cZontmAPTq
Links:
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ICYMI: Metrics Used by Rheumatologists in RA
https://t.co/7Qr4cYvqp1 https://t.co/1FnyNpfhqi
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Pain in RA: Different Drugs for Different Mechanisms
https://t.co/pOETFkTIkS https://t.co/Vn5zgrYsKR
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Top 20 Best Rheumatology Hospitals - 2024
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has been named the top hospital for rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report. This is the 7th year in a row they have held this spot.
https://t.co/ZHogsqVR5H https://t.co/45qm4Li4ii
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