Seasonal variations in symptoms -- commonly reported by patients with rheumatic diseases -- were not observed in a large cohort of patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome, French investigators found.

In a study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, JAMA reports that serum folate level of greater than 4.3 ng/mL was associated with lower CV mortality risk.

The Annals of Rheumatic Disease reports that interleukin- 27 (IL-37) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of gout, paving the way for future therapy with recombinant IL-37 in gouty arthritis.

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

RheumNow Live kicks off its second annual meeting - a little, big meeting in Fort Worth - in just 2 weeks and I think you should be there.

Obesity is a risk factor for the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may also an impediment to optimal DMARD and biologic responses.  A new study has shown that after 1 year, obese RA patients undergoing bariatric surgery with weight loss had significantly lower disease activity.

Today, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published the 2020 Guideline for the Management of Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases.

There are numerous associations between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD). An analysis of the Swedish SCAPIS Pilot study shows that higher levels of serum urate (SU) are associated with an increase in coronary artery calcification score in men but not in women. SU is not associated with common carotid intima-media thickness and carotid plaque scores in either men or women.

JAMA Dermatology reports that psoriasis is associated with a slightly increased risk of cancer, particularly keratinocyte cancer and lymphomas.

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

Fourteen cases reported from mainland China suggest that tofacitinib (TOFA) may be effective in patients with refractory adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD), further adding to a growing list of potential use of JAK inhibition in managing inflammatory, and now autoinflammatory, disease.

Science Translational Medicine has a report on how the use of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors may boost osteoblasts to battle bone erosions in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Low-dose methotrexate (LD-MTX) was studied in high risk cardiac patients in the cardiac intervention trial (CIRT), but was prematurely ended for not showing a change in cardiovascular event rates. Nonetheless this trial studied the safety and adverse event rates of LD-MTX and those results are reported in the current issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

NICE has commissioned an update to the 2010 British Society for Rheumatology guideline for the management of giant cell arteritis, and proposed a total of 19 recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of GCA.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the highlights from the 2020 RWCS meeting in Maui, Hawaii.

The PEXIVAS study showed that plasma exchange did not reduce the incidence of death or ESKD in patients with severe ANCA–associated vasculitis.

Shingles infection has been historically linked to an increased risk of stroke. A new study found that Zoster Vaccine Live, one type of shingles vaccination, may prevent stroke in some older adults.

A report from The National Databank for Rheumatic Disease addressed the impact of alcohol on disease activity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and found that alcohol use was not associated with changes in disease activity or mortality, after addressing confounders. 

Recent research from the Lown Institute reports that 750 older Americans are hospitalized daily because of serious side effects from and the core problem is that of polypharmacy, especially in the elderly.