Many of our diseases are made worse by obesity, notably rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Much of the refractory pain and suffering from these conditions might be attributable to obesity, so active questions will be raised about how GLP-1 agonists can influence the diseases we treat.

When should you consider off-label use of JAKi?

Similar to JAKs, TYK2 is an important mediator of innate and adaptive immune activation. Unlike JAKs, however, TYK2 is thought to play a minimal role in other pathways, such as metabolic and hematopoietic axes. Therefore, it is hypothesized that TYK2-targeted agents could be effective in rheumatic disease, with a potential for less off-target adverse effects. Zasocitinib is a new, oral TYK2 inhibitor generated using artificial intelligence-assisted compound design.

Despite the remarkable expansion of the therapeutic armamentarium for psoriatic arthritis (PsA), the MONITOR-PsA study highlights a persistent and critical issue: delays in diagnosis. The study findings are stark, with about 25% of patients having erosions at diagnosis.

A recent study presented at #ACR24 convergence highlights significant gaps and inconsistencies in the research of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD).

The global population is aging and none of our rheumatic diseases are immune to the impact of the complexities and so-called “geriatric syndromes”, including sarcopenia, frailty, falls and cognitive impairment, associated with the aging process. Whilst we are increasingly aware of these syndromes, it is sometimes overwhelming to consider just how we may incorporate the unique needs of our older patients into our already busy clinical practice – or perhaps until now we were unsure of their significance and relevance. Why should we care about aging?

Over the past 5 years, there has been growing interest in RA-ILD due to its relative prevalence and severity. This seems to be one of the few RA outcomes not improving much, even with the advent of expanded treatment options. There is also a shocking lack of trial data. This year, there were two oral sessions dedicated to RA-ILD, one of which even the overflow room was standing room only, in addition to many posters.