Lupus Outcomes Influenced by Race/Ethnicity

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A lupus registry from San Francisco County analyzed racial/ethnic differences in lupus manifestations and found significant differences in SLE manifestations among racial/ethnic groups. Researchers found that Blacks, Asians/Pacific Islanders (API), and Hispanics are more likely to develop severe manifestations following a diagnosis of SLE.

From their database, they identified 724 SLE patients, and identified specific features in different subgroups.

Opioids, SSRIs and Steroids Increase Fracture Risk in RA

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Analysis of a large US observational rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients finds that opioids, SSRIs and glucocorticoids were associated with increased risk of fracture in RA, whereas statins and TNFi had a decreased vertebral fracture risk.

Risk Score Predicts Thrombosis Recurrence in APS

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A combination risk score helped predict recurrent thrombosis -- particularly arterial -- among patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), an international study found.

Methotrexate Use Not Linked to Interstitial Lung Disease in RA

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People with rheumatoid arthritis have a significant risk of developing interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), yet there is often a question as to whether methotrexate (MTX) exposure can cause or worsen ILD.  A controlled cohort study suggests that MTX use is not associated with an increased ris

Low Serious Infection Risk with Newer Agents in Psoriasis

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JAMA Dermatology reports on a comparative cohort study of 107,707 psoriasis patients, finding a decreased risk of serious infections among users of apremilast, etanercept, and ustekinumab when compared with methotrexate.

Calcineurin Inhibitors in Anti-Synthetase Dermatomyositis ILD

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A pilot treatment study of patients with anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase antibody–positive polymyositis/dermatomyositis-associated interstitial lung disease (anti-ARS-PM/DM-ILD) shows therapy with glucocorticoids and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) to be highly effective. 

Pilot Study Targets Insulin Resistence in Fibromyalgia

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An unusual pilot study has shown that insulin resistence (IR), assessed by Hgb-A1c levels, was more prevalent in fibromyalgia (FM) patients compared to non-diabetic controls and that when FM patients were given metformin, half had complete resolution of their pain.

Denosumab Protects Against RA Erosions

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Combining denosumab (Prolia) with a conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) such as methotrexate showed promise for slowing radiographic damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a manufacturer-sponsored phase III trial called DESIRABLE found.

RheumNow Podcast – DESIREABLE Results (5.3.19)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the latest journal articles and rheumatology news from the past week on RheumNow.com:

Ideal Outcomes are Seldom Achieved in Gout

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Studies from a cohort of gout patients in Mexico shows that long-term goals of a target serum urate (sUA) 6 mg/dL and remission are rare, especially for those with severe gout.

Omega-3 Rich Fish Lowers Gout Flares

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Boston researchers have shown that consumption of fish rich in omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA) leads to a lower risk of recurrent gout flares.

Targeting GM-CSF Works in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Namilumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) ligand, showed promise as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a phase II study.

RheumNow Podcast – Take it Back Jack! (4.26.19)

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

More Studies Needed to Optimize the Use of Osteoporosis Drugs

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The Annals of Internal Medicine reports a metanalysis done to examine the optimal length of long-term osteoporosis drug treatment (ODT) and whether harms are associated with long-term ODT and while the ODT benefits are clear, the risk of rare harms and need for drug holidays is less certain.&nbsp

Skyrizi (risankizumab) FDA Approved for Psoriasis

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AbbVie has announced that the US FDA has granted the approval of Skyrizi (risankizumab-rzaa) for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. 

Ustekinumab Effective in Behcet's Disease

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A small prospective study has shown that ustekinumab is safe and effective in Behçet's disease (BD) with recurrent oral ulcers (OU).

Improved Survival in Lupus

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A longitudinal study of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from the Toronto Lupus Clinic has shown that mortality has decreased over time.

Sleep Myths Debunked

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A panel of 10 sleep experts studied 20 common sleep myths and found little or no evidence in support of these beliefs.

Sleep issues are highly prevalent among US adults, but few admit to it or do anything to manage it. 

Higher Comorbidities in Hidradenitis Suppurativa

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JAMA Dermatology reports that patients with hidradenitis suppurativa have significantly more comorbidities than do patients with psoriasis.

Polypharmacy Blunts Responses and Ups the Safety Risks

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A study from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register (BSRBR-RA) demonstrates that polypharmacy is a predictor of lower treatment responses and more serious adverse events (SAEs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.