Both high and low levels of uric acid were linked with increased risks of death, showing a U-shaped association between serum uric acid levels and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality, Korean researchers reported.

A population based study from southern Denmark finds excess mortality RF-positive males with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and that employment status and comorbidity were independent predictors of mortality.

Mortality remains high in granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), but the causes of death tend to change over time, a researcher reported here.

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

Should celecoxib (Celebrex) be officially declared as no riskier for the heart than other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) naproxen and ibuprofen, and do those other NSAIDs interfere with aspirin for cardiovascular prevention?

FDA staff remain worried about the safety of baricitinib, an oral JAK inhibitor intended for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, according to briefing documents prepared for an advisory committee meeting on Monday.

JAMA Internal Medicine reports that in the USA, those who smoke cigar, pipe, or cigarette have a significant overall  mortality risk, and a much highers cancer mortality risk compared to nonsmokers.

Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center used electronic health records (EHR) to perform a phenome-wide study comparing African American (AA-SLE) and Caucasian (C-SLE) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and found more comorbidities in AA-SLE, especially renal, cardiovascular, an

A multicenter study assessed patients with the antisynthetase syndrome (AS) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) and found that rituximab (RTX) therapy was associated with either improved or stable pulmonary outcomes in most. 

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. News on drug regulatory decisions, fenofibrate and gout, Still's disease, TB and infection rates, SpA and hidradenitis suppurativa, and predicting methotrexate non-responders.

Lancet reports the results of the FIELD (Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes) study - where fenofibrate was shown to reduce uric acid by 20%, gout events by nearly 50% and may be useful in preventing gout in diabetes. 

The journal Stroke has published a trial wherein the use of subcutaneous IL-1Ra (anakinra) was shown to reduce the peripheral inflammatory response in those with an acute ischemic stroke.

The CARES study was presented Monday at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Orlando and finds that while the rates of all major cardiovascular (CV) events were comparable between febuxostat or allopurinol, there were more CV deaths with febuxostat.

This retrospective review is drawn from the authors collection of the most impactful publications, research and news that occurred in 2017.  In no particular order, here are my top rheumatology advances, news and research reports for calendar year 2017.

In animal studies, probenecid was shown to have positive inotropic effects on the cardiomyocyte mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 activation.

A Taiwanese study of 55,629 hypertensive patients shows no increased risk of  major cardiovascular events comparing outcomes of patients started on COX-2 selective NSAIDs compared with nonselective NSAIDs (including ibuprofen, diclofenac and naproxen).

An analysis of the UK Biobank study found no link between calcium/vitamin D supplementation and incident cardiovascular events/deaths in a large prospective study of 475,255 men and women aged 40 to 69 years.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights, news and recent research published this week on RheumNow.com. This week's report includes news and education from the RWCS meeting in Maui.

Listen in on the proceedings from the 2018 RWCS meeting in Maui with excerpts from leading teachers in rheumatology. This podcast features Drs. Martin Bergman, Jack Cush, Rachel Tate, Phil Aleksiejuk, Shubha Kollampare, Orrin Troum, and Alvin Wells. Listen here or on Stitcher, iTune, iPhone, Soundcloud or Google play.

Two reports underscore the importance of nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC) in scleroderma and have shown that nailfold capillary drop out was significantly associated with mortality in systemic sclerosis.