The RheumNow Week in Review – Lupus in the News (7.27.18)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.

Latin American Clinical Practice Guidelines for Lupus

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The Annals of Rheumatic Disease have published the recently developed Latin American clinical practice guidelines for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) addressing the best pharmacologic interventions for musculoskeletal, mucocutaneous, kidney, cardiac, pulmonary, neuropsychiatric, hemat

Minimal Disease Activity: The Goal in PsA

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The majority of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who achieved a state of minimal disease activity (MDA) after 6 months of treatment with adalimumab (Humira) maintained that response through 24 months, a large observational study found.

Steroids vs. NSAIDs in Treating Acute Gout

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Gout, the ancient disease of kings is usually treated with the ancient (and costly) drug colchicine, often without consideration of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) or corticosteroids.

Consensus Guidelines for Methotrexate in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

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A consensus panel was convened to develop consensus-based clinical and therapeutic recommendations for the use of methotrexate (MTX) in the management of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) patients.  

Erectile Dysfunction in Gout

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The Journal of Rheumatology reports a population-based study demonstrating that gout is associated with an increased risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ED) suggesting that hyperuricemia and inflammation may be independent risk factors for ED.

Baricitinib Effective in SLE Trial

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Dan Wallace and colleagues report in Lancet the results of a phase II study of the selective baricitinib, an oral selective Janus kinase (JAK1 and JAK2) inhibitor, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, demonstrating the efficacy and safety of JAK1/2 inhibition with baricitinib as a new potential oral therapy for SLE.

The RheumNow Week in Review – Cocoon Therapy? (7.20.18)

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

Biomarker Combo Predicts TNF Inhibitor Responses

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Based on clinical trial data, patients starting tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNFi) have roughly a two-thirds chance of achieiving a good clinical response. French investigators have studied a series of potential biomarkers and surmised that the combination of baseline prealbumin, platelet factor 4 and S100A12 can predict a 78% response to TNFi in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

The Lung in RA: Little Progress

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The progress that has been seen in the management of many aspects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been paralleled for the pulmonary disease that remains the second most common cause of death among these patients, an Australian expert reported here at the annual meeting of the Florida Society

Unsafe Practices with Ambien Use

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Ambien (zolpidem) is the most widely used prescription hypnotic sedative since its introduction in 1992 and is currently the fourth most frequently prescribed psychiatric drug (2013). Recent US Food and Drug Administration Drug Safety Communications suggest limitations on use to reduce adverse effects. A study of the Medical Expenditures Survey in 2015 revealed that over 3.8 million adults reported using one or more prescriptions for zolpidem.

Predictors of Methotrexate Non-Response

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New research from a UK study suggests that nonresponse to oral or subcutaneous MTX was seen in 43% and is predicted by seronegativity, higher disease activity measures and higher anxiety scores.

The RheumNow Week in Review –Fateful Outcomes in Rheumatology (7.13.18)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.  Fateful outcomes in Rheumatology, what happens to Seronegatives, IL-23 fails, MRI progression, Not all inflammatory back pain becomes SpA:

The Diverse Fate of Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis

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A Finnish Rheumatology Center followed 435 early, seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for 10-years and found that only 3% became erosive or seropositive RA.

Defining Refractory RA by Biologic Use

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A study from the  British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register (BSRBR) has shown that biologic refractory disease is seen in at least 6% of patients who have ever received a biologic DMARD (bDMARDs).

Liver Disease Increased in Psoriasis

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An observational case-control study has shown that psoriasis is associated with an increased prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

IL-23 Inhibitor Fails in Ankylosing Spondylitis

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A study of the IL-23 risankizumab in active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients failed to show efficacy and did not meet primary efficacy endpoints in a 6-month trial.

Obesity, Hypertension and Diuretics Drive Gout Risk

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A recent metanalysis suggests that obesity, hypertension and diuretic use are associated with a two-fold increased risk of incident gout.

From a potential of 9923 articles, researchers analyzed 11 studies with data suitable for the meta-analysis.

Hydroxychloroquine Being Over-Dosed with New Guidelines?

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Hydroxychloroquine retinopathy prevention guidelines have revised from ideal body weight-based dosing to actual body weight-based dosing; the question remains whether these have been adopted in clinical practice.

A database of nearly 21,000 new HCQ users from a UK general population database studied HCQ dosing and use between 2007 and 2016. Specifically they examined whether users were subjected to excess HCQ dosing per ophthalmology guidelines (defined by exceeding 6.5 mg/kg of IBW and 5.0 mg/kg of ABW).

Best of 2017: Cause of Death in Ankylosing Spondylitis

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A French population based study of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was report in the Journal of Rheumatology.

They analyzed the death certificates and cause of death in 2940 AS patients over 3 different decades (1969-78; 1979-99; 2000-2009).