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TNF Inhibition and Heart Failure
Clinicians often face the issue of using a TNF inhibitor (TNFi) in patients with heart failure or cardiac disease. Here are the facts and data necessary to make a cogent decision to use or avoid TNFi.
Read ArticleRheumatoid Arthritis Alone is Not a Risk for Post-Op CV Events
Using hospitalization claims from 7 states, reasearchers studied the risk of cardiovascular outcomes following surgery in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. (Citation source http://buff.ly/1TDsVG6)
Read ArticlePulmonary Hypertension Earlier and More Severe in Men with Scleroderma
Pulmonary hypertension is an uncommon complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and historically thought to slowly evolve in those with limited scleroderma over many years.
Read ArticleRacial Disparity in Cardiovascular Risks with Connective Tissue Disorders
Cardiovascular events account for significant morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other connnective tissue disorders (CTD). Investigators analyzed health records from a large U.S.
Read Article10 Ways Rheumatoid Arthritis Could’ve Killed Glenn Frey
I was truly stunned Monday 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 ArticleInterstitial Lung Disease Not Increased with Biologics
Extraarticular manifestations affect more then half of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and interstitial lung disease or "RA lung" is one of the more prevalent. The frequency of ILD in patients with RA varies from 5% to 58%.
Read ArticlePsoriasis May Not Be a Risk for CV Events
Patients with psoriatic skin and joint disease are uniquely susceptible to multiple comorbidities, obesity and possibly more cardiovascular risks. In rheumatoid arthritis, the increased CV risk and CV events have been closely aligned with inflammation and disease activity.
Read ArticleHypertension Increased in Psoriasis Treated with NSAIDs, Cyclosporine or Steroids
Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patient have significantly higher rates of comorbidity, including hypertension (HTN). This population-based, nested case–control study analyzed an inception psoriasis cohort from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000–2010.
Read ArticleMycophenolate in Scleroderma Lung Disease
Clements et al presented the results of their Scleroderma Lung Study II wherein PSS patients with interstitial lung disease were randomized to receive either 3 grams daily of mycopheonolate or 2mg/kg/day of cyclophosphamide.
Read ArticleImproving Cardiovascular Trends in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Myasoedova and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic have reported their new data that demonstrates improving cardiovascular (CV) mortality rates in current RA patients treated with modern drugs.
Read ArticleKnee OA (not Hand) is Associated with Higher Mortality in Women
"Doc....the pain is killing me."
This oft heard patient complaint may be truer than you think.
Read ArticleDownward Trends in US Mortality Statistics
Using death certificate data from US National Vital Statistics System of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, JAMA reports a downward trend in death rates in the USA from 1969 - 2013).
Read ArticleBronchiectasis Contributes to Activity and Seropositivity in Rheumatoid Arthritis
UK investigators have shown that rheumatoid arthritis patients with bronchiectasis (BRRA) have a five-fold increased mortality compared to RA without bronchiectasis. It is unclear if serologic differences, activity measures and biomarkers may be different in this cohort.
Read ArticleIs DLCO Predictive in Rheumatoid Interstitial Lung Disease?
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Its presence may portend grave outcomes for those affected. The prevalence of ILD in RA ranges from 7.7% to 44% depending on the assessment tools used.
Read ArticleDiffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage in Lupus Reviewed
Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a rare but catastrophic complication of systemic lupus erythematosus. Presentations are usually acute and the potential for significant morbidity and mortality risk mandates early diagnosis and aggressive interventions.
Read ArticleRheumatoid Arthritis Associated with More Severe Acute Coronary Syndromes and Outcomes
Acute coronary syndromes (ACSs), myocardial infarctions and heart failure appear to be a hazardous consequence to systemic and articular inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.
Read ArticleNew Drugs, New Hope for Pulmonary Fibrosis
The Wall Street Journal reports that new drug development offers hope for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare, progressive fibrosing lung disorder that affects nearly 200,000 Americans, mostly middle-aged and older adults.
Read ArticleDiastolic Dysfunction in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Poor cardiovascular outcomes have been linked to inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This includes higher rates of MI and heart failure (HF).
Read ArticleHigh False Negative Rate with PFTs in Scleroderma
Researchers in Zurich studed 102 systemic sclerosis with serial PFTs and high-resolution computed tomography of the chest (HRCT). They found significant interstitial lung disease (ILD) by HRCT in 63 percent.
Read ArticleSCOT Study Shows NSAID Safety
Since the 2005 FDA hearing that resulted in the removal of Vioxx and Bextra from the US market, the safety of nonselective NSAIDs (nsNSAIDs) and selective Cox-2 inhibitors (e.g., celecoxib) has been repeatedly questioned, often without new or substantive data.
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