EULAR Revised Recommendations for Fibromyalgia

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The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) has published updated recommendations on the management of fibromyalgia in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (Citation source http://buff.ly/29I7e8C). 

Vagal Stimulation Improves Cytokine Production and Rheumatoid Disease Activity

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PNAS has published a study wherein an inducible “inflammatory reflex” delivered by vagus nerve stimulation was shown to inhibit the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), an inflammatory molecule that is a major therapeutic target in an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Lupus Patients Genomically Stratified to Explain Treatment Responses

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Systemic lupus is a clinically heterogeneous disorder, unified by requisite clinical features and exuberant humoral response to unknown triggers.  While the diagnosis is easy, the disease course and management can be complicated and challenging.  

Angiogenic Biomarkers Predict Adverse Outcomes Pregnancies in Lupus

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The PROMISSE (Predictors of Pregnancy Outcome: Biomarkers in Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) study has revealed several important lessons in lupus care.

Sclerostin Inhibition May Worsen Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Sclerostin, an inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, negatively regulates osteoblast differentiation and has anti-anabolic effects on bone formation. Thus, inhibition of sclerostin is currently being studied as therapy for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Patient Reluctance to Take Bisphosphonates

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The NY Times reports that millions of Americans with osteoporosis are driven to stop or not take bisphosphonate therapies over the fear of exceedingly rare side effects - osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and atypical femoral fractures (AFF).

faSScinate Study Shows Tocilizumab to be Effective in Systemic Sclerosis

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The results of the faSScinate trial were published in Lancet showing that treatment with Actemra (tocilizumab) resulted in a reduction in skin thickness and an improvement in lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

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.