Want to Go Far, Go Together (4.21.2023)

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This week on the podcast Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, regulatory announcements and novel journal reports including a profile on pseudogout, the safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in RA patients and the diagnostic importance of neutrophils.

Aging Mechanisms Tied to Giant Cell Arteritis

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Senescence pathways are involved in giant cell arteritis (GCA), an analysis of patient tissue samples suggested, which may account for the efficacy of one agent now used for the disease and another in commercial development.

Sex-Specific Differences in Psoriatic Arthritis

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A systematic review of published literature on psoriatic arthritis (PsA), clinical features, disease activity, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) shows generally higher levels of disease activity in women, compared to men with PsA.

TNR: Private Practice & Academia

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In this session, our panelists addressed the big questions of: "How do I choose between private practice and academia?" and "How do I advance in my career?".

Renal Function Safe With Pegloticase-MTX Combo for Gout

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For patients with uncontrolled gout, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) remained stable with combination pegloticase (Krystexxa) and methotrexate treatment, researchers reported.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Safety with Pre-existing Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Lancet Rheumatology has published a retrospective analysis showing patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for cancer have the same outcomes (mortality and severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs)) even when they have pre-existing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The Match Game (4.14.2023)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com, including Rheumatology success in the NRMP MATCH, Cocaine vasculitis and worrisome safety risks with Biologics and tsDMARDs.

Pain and Opioid Updates

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Today, the CDC and FDA provided new updates on the scope of pain in the USA and guidance on the use of opioids.

MMWR April 14, 2023

RA Patients on Biologics and tsDMARDs are still High Risk

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A new Swedish ARTIS registry study of key safety outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving either targeted synthetic or biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/ts DMARDs, including Janus Kinase inhibitors (JAKi)), has been updated and affirms previously held risks.

Best Treatments for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-associated Arthritis

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A retrospective study of cancer patients who developed immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated inflammatory arthritis (ICI-IA) shows that biologic DMARDs were more effective than conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs) in rapid control of arthritis.

Clinical Profile of RA-associated Interstitial Lung Disease

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A prospective, cross-sectional analysis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) shows those with interstitial lung disease (ILD) tend to be older, obese and have a smoking history.

Antiphospholipid Antibodies With Incident Cardiovascular Events

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Are antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular (ASCVD) event risk?  A cohort study has shown that aPL Abs are found in a substantial proportion of adults with ASCVD events and finding both positive aCL IgA and aβ2GPI IgA Abs independently predicted futur

Gender Norms in Chronic Pain

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Sensitive women and stoical men are the prevalent images of people in chronic pain. Unwarranted differences in medical treatment may result, as a University of Gothenburg doctoral thesis emphasizes.

Disordered Pain Processing in Fibromyalgia

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Fibromyalgia is a mysterious chronic pain disorder that is difficult to treat. Its causes are also still largely in the dark.

Steroid-Sparing Rituximab in Polymyalgia Rheumatica

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BRIDGE-PMR proof-of-concept trial assessed the efficacy of rituximab (RTX) in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and showed that a single 1000 mg dose of lead to a significant number of glucocorticoid-free remissions after 1 year. 

British Society of Rheumatology Plans Revision of Systemic Sclerosis Guideline

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British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) last published its guideline for systemic sclerosis (SSc) in 2016. Given the many advances in the field the BSR has outlined their plans to update the management of SSc.

EMA Final Update on JAK Inhibitors and MACE, Malignancy & VTE Risks

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The EMA has updated recommendations regarding the use of JAK inhibitors by issuing a direct healthcare professional communication summarizing the data and warnings regarding an increased risk of malignancy, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), serious infections, VTE, and mortality in some patients receiving JAKi for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disorders.

Alcohol Differences in Urate Level Elevation

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Does serum urate elevation differ with different types of alcohol consumption? A Japanese study shows beer and wine was associated with high and moderate increases in uric acid but less so with sake.