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Lupus Patients Genomically Stratified to Explain Treatment Responses
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.
Read ArticlePatient Reluctance to Take Bisphosphonates
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).
Read ArticlefaSScinate Study Shows Tocilizumab to be Effective in Systemic Sclerosis
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).
Read ArticleEarly DMARD Therapy Averts Cardiovascular Risk in RA
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).
Read Article10 Ways Rheumatoid Arthritis Could’ve Killed Glenn Frey
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.
Read ArticleTocilizumab in Pregnancy
Tocilizumab is currently listed as a Category "C" pregnancy risk based on limited pre-clinical (animal) data that was negative.
Read ArticleCancer Risk Lower with TNF inhibitors in Rheumatoid Arthritis
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
Read ArticleBiologics and Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Researchers from Bristol, UK have published a Cochrane review studying the effects of biologic therapies on fatigue.
Read ArticleHyperuricemia Increases Risk of Diabetes, Death and CV Disorders in Hypertensive Patients
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.
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Infection Risk Increased in Giant Cell Arteritis
French researchers recruited 486 patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) from over 40 centers throughout France, and compared their outcomes to age and sex matched individuals randomly selected from the general population. Both groups were followed for 5 years and assessed for the risk of serious infections.
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Predictors of Progression in Early Inflammatory Polyarthritis
A substantial, but unclear, percentage of patients presenting with new onset inflammatory polyarthritis (IP) will spontaneously remit, while others may persist and develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Read ArticleEULAR 2016 Drug Safety Report
The EULAR Annual European Congress of Rheumatology meeting was held in London from June 8-11, 2016 and was well attended by thousands. This year’s meeting had over 2,000 poster displays, and the EULAR 2016 Congress presented new recommendations on the management of rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and fibromyalgia.
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RheumNow Week in Review – 17 June 2016
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, reports and highlights from EULAR and the last 2 weeks from RheumNow.com.
Read ArticleEuropean Registries Show No Melanoma Risk with Biologics
The combined analysis of 130,315 rheumatoid arthritis patients from 11 European registries did not reveal an association between invasive (malignant) melanoma and the use of biologic therapies.
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Arthritis and Suicide Linked with Childhood Adversities
Men and women with arthritis have nearly a two-fold higher prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts than those without arthritis, according to a recent study from the University of Toronto.
Read ArticleNo Increased Risk of Colitis Flares in Secukinumab Trials
No increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease has been seen among patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis treated with secukinumab (Cosentyx) in the clinical trial programs for this interleukin (IL)-17A inhibitor, a researcher reported here.
Read ArticleParathyroidectomy Improves and Bisphosphonates Worsen Fracture Risk in Primary Hyperparathyroidism
A retrospective observational study of over 6000 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), followed in the Kaiser-Permanente system, has shown a greater need for parathyroidectomy than was previously thought.
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Hospitalizations Decline for Rheumatoid Arthritis, But Increase in Gout
JAMA has reported the results of an 18-year National Inpatient Sample, a database of US non-federal hospitalizations.
Read ArticleEULAR: Tofacitinib Effective in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Desiree van der Heidje, MD, PhD presented the results of a 16-week, phase II, dose-ranging study of tofacitinib (TOFA) in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis.
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Comorbidities Seen with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
The damaging potential of many inflammatory disorders is magnified by well-known associated comorbid conditions. This is particularly true in lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic disease.
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