the predictive value of a positive ANA test—especially in the absence of other clinical symptoms—remains a challenge. A positive test often leads to further testing, yet it does not necessarily indicate whether a patient truly has an underlying autoimmune disease. The development of AI and machine learning algorithms presents an opportunity to interpret autoantibody tests and predict autoimmune diseases. Here are three studies looking at this

Let me start by confessing something embarrassing: the immune system is just too complex for me to understand. I suspect the onslaught of new drugs with new mechanisms at ACR 2024 may have left many of you feeling similarly. This may be particularly true for the TYK/JAK/STAT signaling pathway, where each agent has a slightly-different combination of binding affinity to various JAK and TYK signaling dimers. In this article I want to share some

ORAL surveillance was a post-authorisation safety study of tofacitinib 5mg and 10mg versus TNF inhibitors, focusing on rates of adverse events, including MACE. A higher incidence of MACE was observed with the use of tofacitinib. Statins are recommended in patients with a history of atherosclerotic disease or 10 year predicted risk of MACE. But, how many patients with rheumatoid arthritis, at risk of MACE, are actually taking a statin?

Here’s a collection of some of the best abstracts presented on day 2 of ACR 2024 as selected by the RheumNow faculty. 

Plenary sessions began the day, followed by thousands on the abstract floor. Here are a few of my favorite presentations from day 2 at ACR 2024.

With the advent of FDA-approved anti-obesity medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, a new avenue for managing this challenging patient population has emerged. But how might these drugs impact the trajectory of RA, and are we on the cusp of a paradigm shift?

Abstract 1731 is a small RCT of baricitinib in inflammatory myositis comparing early start baricitinib to later start.

Associations between air pollution and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis have previously been demonstrated. Abstract 0978 sought to determine the association between fire smoke and other pollutant exposures with the risk of RA and RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

For decades, glucocorticoids (GCs) have formed the backbone of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) management. Whilst previously there was a sense that a “low” GC dose with limited duration was used, we now appreciate just how heterogenous the disease course of PMR can be, with many patients experiencing frequent relapses and garnering a subsequent huge GC burden over a number of years.

Nine out of ten adults in the USA struggle to understand basic health-related information. Across the pond, in the UK, 7.1 million adults read at, or below, the level of a nine-year-old, with 60% unable to understand health information. An increasing body of research in rheumatic diseases has sought to understand the impact of health literacy, long neglected as a social determinant of health, on clinical and non-clinical outcomes. Several

The SELECT-GCA study, looking at upadacitinib in GCA, anchored the ACR 2024 opening plenary for a reason - it is highly notable and badly needed.

Lupus nephritis is one of the most silent and severe manifestations of SLE. When not captured early, patients are at high risk of progressing to end-stage renal disease, which would require dialysis or transplantation. Renal biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis and disease classification. However, the procedure is invasive and very painful. Non-invasive measures are critical for early detection and continuous monitoring.

When the ACR Convergence 2024 abstract site went live, the first query I typed into the search bar was, “CAR-T.” I consider myself a CAR-T skeptic and would be surprised if the magical results from this NEJM case series replicate at scale, but it seems likely that CAR-T will revolutionize the care for (some) patients with rheumatic diseases. What new data will be presented at ACR?

Are emulation ‘trials’ helpful, despite the biases that occur with observational data, or do they truly mimic the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs)?

ACR Convergence 2024 opened today with a full slate of presentations, posters and specialty meetings.  The meeting began with a flip: the plenary sessions started at 9AM and the poster session began at 1030 AM. Below are some of the highlights from day one in Washington, DC.