Dr. Jack Cush reviews and highlights his favorite abstracts and presentations from last week's virtual EULAR 2021 meeting.

Given its multiple domains, there remains much discussion over the best disease activity scoring method in PsA. The proverbial "holy grail" would be a measure that is quick, intuitive, domain comprehensive and validated.

An analysis of SLE samples from SLE 1760 patients with active disease from RCTs illustrated several known and some new targets for SLE treatment (POS0351).

Combination disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy may not be only for rheumatoid arthritis; combining disease modifying agents may be the path to better renal response. 

Here are a few notable presentations from this past Friday, Day 3 of the EULAR 2021 virtual meeting.

It seems like every conference we are presented with data on the newest biologic for treatment of psoriatic arthritis, but the question is, do we need it? Oral presentation (6937) discussed that issue and addressed our need for a more personalized approach to the treatment of PsA. 

The question as to how autoimmune rheumatic disease patients fare with the COVID vaccine is one being asked in rheumatologists’ offices everywhere this year, and at the EULAR 2021 Virtual Congress, data presented from Israel, one of the first countries to vaccinate on a broad scale, has provided much-needed reassuring answers.

In RA, the two most common peaks of incidence are thirties and fifties; however a significant percentage of patients above the age of 70 present with active RA -of early or later onset- and require adapted treatment.