Fresolimumab (anti-TGF beta) Improves Systemic Sclerosis

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Transforming growth factor (TGF-β) is known to have potent profibrotic activity and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis a futile condition with no effective disease modifying treatments.

Early DMARD Therapy Averts Cardiovascular Risk in RA

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A Finnish early RA register studied 14,878 incident RA patients from 2000-2008 and identified 1157 deaths. Patients receiving DMARDs and MTX had lower mortality rates. The standardized mortality ratio for the entire cohort was reduced (0.57, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.62).

10 Ways Rheumatoid Arthritis Could’ve Killed Glenn Frey

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I was truly stunned when it was announced that Glenn Frey, from the Eagles, had died as a result of complications from his rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and pneumonia.

Adalimumab Approved for Uveitis

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Autoimmune ophthalmic disease is a frequent challenge to rheumatologists from both a diagnostic and therapeutic perspective. Approved therapies are limited and have only been infrequently or comfortably utilized by rheumatologists and autoimmune ophthalmologists.

RheumNow Week in Review – 1 July 2016

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the news and social media in the past week on RheumNow.com

Checkpoint Inhibitors Causing Arthritis

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A recent report from Johns Hopkins, published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, describes 13 cancer patients treated with the immune checkpoint inhibitors, ipilimumab or nivolumab, who developed inflammatory arthritis and sicca syndrome.

EULAR Recommendations for the Management of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

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A EULAR task force has updated its 2009 recommendations for the management of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis. 

Tocilizumab in Pregnancy

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Tocilizumab is currently listed as a Category "C" pregnancy risk based on limited pre-clinical (animal) data that was negative.

Cancer Risk Lower with TNF inhibitors in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Since the introduction of TNF inhibitors nearly 20 years ago, concerns over a potential associated cancer risk have abounded. The recent ACR RA treatment guidelines have addressed this recently, stating that patients with any solid tumor cancer or risk thereof should be treated as if they ha

Biologics and Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Researchers from Bristol, UK have published a Cochrane review studying the effects of biologic therapies on fatigue.

Hyperuricemia Increases Risk of Diabetes, Death and CV Disorders in Hypertensive Patients

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While hyperuricemia is linked to gout and many of the elements that make up the metabolic syndrome, it's not so clear that hyperuricemia is an independant risk factor for hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular outcomes, etc.

Family History and Rheumatoid Arthritis

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AS Diagnosis Linked to CVD Risk

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Prevalent patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) face a 30–50% increased risk of acute coronary, cerebrovascular, and thromboembolic events compared with the general population.

RheumNow Week in Review – 24 June 2016

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Dr. Cush reviews highlights published this week at RheumNow.com.

Infection Risk Increased in Giant Cell Arteritis

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French researchers recruited 486 patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) from over 40 centers throughout France, and compared their outcomes to age and sex matched individuals randomly selected from the general population. Both groups were followed for 5 years and assessed for the risk of serious infections.

Hypogonadism Ups the Risk of Autoimmunity

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In a variety of models, testosterone has been shown to be immunosuppressive and deficiency of testosterone has been linked with autoimmune disease and increases in C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Predictors of Progression in Early Inflammatory Polyarthritis

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A substantial, but unclear, percentage of patients presenting with new onset inflammatory polyarthritis (IP) will spontaneously remit, while others may persist and develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

New EULAR Guidelines on Behçet's

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At the EULAR 2016 meeting, new EULAR recommendations for the management of Behçet's disease (BD) were presented.

A $20 Drug Company Meal Yields 2-5 Times More Prescriptions

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Accepting a single pharmaceutical industry-sponsored meal was associated with higher rates of prescribing certain drugs to Medicare patients by physicians, with more, and costlier, meals associated with greater increases in prescribing, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Me

EULAR 2016 Drug Safety Report

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The EULAR Annual European Congress of Rheumatology meeting was held in London from June 8-11, 2016 and was well attended by thousands. This year’s meeting had over 2,000 poster displays, and the EULAR 2016 Congress presented new recommendations on the management of rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and fibromyalgia.