Back Pain in Psoriatic Arthritis

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A single center study of psoriatic arthritis patients has shown that rheumatologist-judged inflammatory back pain (IBP) and criteria defining IBP may not perform well when ascertaining axial involvement in PsA patients. 

Maternal RA Increases Offspring Risk of Autoimmune Disorders

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A Danish population study suggests that fetal exposure to maternal rheumatoid arthritis results in an increased offspring risk of thyroid disease, epilepsy and RA, compared to children born to mothers without RA.

Opioid Aversion is Augmenting Spinal Steroid Injections

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As physicians turn away from opioids, are they resorting to options that may also be unsafe?

The New York Times reports that some physicians are using the anti-inflammatory drug, Depo-Medrol, for intraspinal injections to manage painful spinal and perispinal disorders.

IL-1 Suppression May Improve Dilated Cardiomyopathy

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Interleukin-1 (IL-1) suppression helped reverse symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) for one patient in a case study that may implicate inflammation in the development of the condition.

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

Systemic Sclerosis: More Common than Expected

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Systemic sclerosis is more common in the United Kingdom than previously reported, a nationwide population-based study determined.

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).

Best of 2017: Death Rates from Lupus Remain Disproportionately High

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The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that despite improving trends in mortality, death rates from systematic lupus erythematosus (lupus) remain high compared to those in the general population, and disparities persist between subpopulations and geographic regions. Underreporting of lupus on death certificates may have resulted in underestimates of mortality rates. 

The RheumNow Week in Review – Life Savers for Rheumatologists (6.29.18)

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

Ixekizumab Effective in Ankylosing Spondylitis

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Eli Lilly announced today the results of the COAST-W trial showing that ixekizumab (Taltz) was effective in a Phase 3 study Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) patients who had an inadequate response or intolerance to tumor necrosis factor (TNFi) inhibitor therapy.

Does RA Have a Prodrome?

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A pattern of increased primary care visits and joint complaints during the 2 years before rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was diagnosed were predictive of the diagnosis, a British case-control study found.

Public Citizen Pressures FDA to Pull Febuxostat

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Public Citizen has petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove Takeda's drug febuxostat (Uloric) from the market, citing the FDA's own warnings and evidence of serious cardiovascular harms. This follows on a recent FDA safety warning and NEJM paper citing cardiovascular concerns over febuxostat.