Trends in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disabililty, Despite Biologics

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Disability claims in the U.S. related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were just as common in 2015 as in 1999, a government researcher found, against expectations that the advent of biologic therapy would have led to a steady decrease.

Upadacitinib FDA Approved for Ankylosing Spondylitis

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Abbvie has announced the US Food and Drug Administration has approved upadacitinib (Rinvoq or UPA) for use in adults with active ankylosing spondylitis, who have not responded or been intolerant of one or more TNF blockers. The recommended dose is 15 mg per day.

Prolonged TNF Inhibitor Use Delays Sacroiliac Progression

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While tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) have been shown to alter/retard X-ray outcomes in peripheral inflammatory arthritis, the inhibitor effects of TNFi on axial skeletal progression in spondylitis has been difficult to prove, owing to difficulties in study design, identifying best cohorts and a presumed slower rate of change in the spine. 

PsA Journal Club - Fecal Transplant & H2H IXE vs ADA

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Playback now available! Watch our Tuesday Nite Rheumatology, held April 26th, 2022, which featured a Journal Club panel discussion  about two important studies.

Biologics for JIA? Not So Fast, Say Insurers

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It's not a simple matter to prescribe tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), at least those with insurance, a single-center study found.

Arthritis Predicts Hepatic Fibrosis in Hemochromatosis

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Mayo Clinic Proceedings reports the results of a retrospective, cross-sectional of patients with HFE hemochromatosis showing that advanced hepatic fibrosis is primarily seen in those with arthritis due to HFE hemochromatosis. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake and Perceptions in Rheumatic Patients

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Putman et al has reported vaccine survey results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance (C19-GRA) in Lancet Rheumatology showing the uptake and vaccine hesitancy among people with rheumatic diseases (RMD).

Survey data from 7005 vaccinated and unvaccinated, adult RMD respondents from 102 countries was analyzed.

Evusheld as Protective Therapy in High Risk COVID-19 Patients

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A single dose of the monoclonal-antibody AZD7442 (combination of tixagevimab and cilgavimab) has been shown to be safe and effective as prophylaxis against COVID-19 infection in high risk individuals who tested positive for COVID-19. 

TNR - Controversies in PsA

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Held on April 19, 2022, Tuesday Night Rheumatology: Controversies in PsA, featured a lively and informative panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Jack Cush.

The PsA Expert panelists included:

Faith in Exercise Benefit Boosts Actual Benefit in SpA

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Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) got more bang for their exercise buck in a randomized trial when they had good opinions about their workout program, with better persistence with exercise at 1 year relative to a control group, researchers said.

Dietary Improvement in Psoriatic Arthritis

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The results of the DIETA trial showed that dietary changes may control psoriatic arthritis (PsA) disease activity, independent of weight loss.  

Now Available: TNR - Psoriatic Arthritis Journal Club

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A recording of this week’s Tuesday Night Rheumatology is now available. This outstanding webinar featured a robust discussion of the EXCEED study and Discover-2 trial, with Drs. Philip Mease, Peter Nash, Jack Cush and Rachel Tate.

Male vs. Female Responders (4.15.2022)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal Reports from the past week on RheumNow.com - including fellowship COVID-19 concerns, the limits of T2T in gout and the real odds of RA remission with your first biologic. 

No Benefit to More Intensive Urate Lowering in Gout

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While treat-to-target (T2T) is commonly advocated in gout management, it is unknown if T2T (or more intensive T2T) may result in less bony erosions in gout.

Consensus Best Practices for Virtual Care in Rheumatology

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The Canadian Rheumatology Association’s (CRA) Telehealth Working Group (TWG) has developed a series of best practice statements for the virtual care in adult and pediatric rheumatology patients.

ACR Fellow Training Subcommittee Report on Pandemic Experiences

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Arthritis & Rheumatology has publish an ACR Subcommittee report on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected fellows and their training. 

RheumNow Podcast – What You Do For & What You Do To the Patient (4.8.2022)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week and discusses the use of fibroscan in RA, steroid hip injections in OA and famous quotes from a famous cardiologist.

Short-Term (not Long-Term) Benefits to Intraarticular Hip Steroid Injection

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A single ultrasound guided intra-articular hip corticosteroid injection can be quite effective in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA).