Rheumatoid Arthritis

A cohort study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients evaluated immunogenicity of COVID vaccination with and without holding methotrexate (MTX) for and 2-weeks and showed better immunogenicity, but more RA flares with the second MTX withdrawal. 

There is a shortage of rheumatologists in Canada and the recent 2020 Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) Workforce and Wellness study shows that the shortage may be compounded by rheumatologist burnout, especially among young and female physicians. 

Annals of Internal Medicine reports that thiopurine toxcicity risk is associated with the "CC" genotype and that azathioprine discontinuation was associated with hematopoietic toxicity and lower thiopurine doses. 

Dr. Jack Cush does a 2-week review of RheumNow Tweets on news and journal citations worth noting, along with some opinions on Telehealth, manpower, monkeypox and the price of drugs. Although Rheumatology currently ranks 2nd or 3rd in specialty use of telemedicine - the vast majority of rheums have given up on telehealth (<15%) https://t.co/iDNesBkOnN

Clear differences were apparent among the three major types of targeted medications for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a large European registry study.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is rare, but often associated with different forms of arthritis, in particular rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. 

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the top abstracts from EULAR 2022  As chosen by me with the  aid of the RheumNow EULAR faculty. “Top” is relative and subjective, but my criteria for inclusion are based on impact, water cooler talk potential, innovation and social media buzz.  Speaking of social media…

What can we learn from Oral Surveillance? The Oral Surveillance trial has almost become a household word for rheumatologists.

Rheumatologists have long hoped and wondered whether the right type of early intervention could prevent rheumatoid arthritis occurring in at-risk individuals. While it is often a point of substantive discussion at EULAR, this year’s meeting in Copenhagen provided further data on how therapy might useful before patients develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA), particularly for those at particularly high risk.

An Annals of Internal Medicine review has shown that clinical trials and cohort studies of cannabinoids use for chronic pain may be associated with short-term improvements in chronic pain but come with an increased risk for dizziness and sedation. Studies of long-term outcomes and product formulation effects are lacking.

Topical treatments have so often been the low level “sure you can try this” option. However there are exciting data that these approaches may become part of our main armamentarium. 

By now, those of us attending the meeting know how to find a free coffee or sprite, have found comfortable meeting nooks and know our way around! PAnd congrats to you virtual Rheums for mastering the multi-screen, multitask simultaneous consumption posters, tweets and oral abstract presentations.

A full day at EULAR with oral and poster presentations of abstracts in the morning and a plethora of scientific (review) sessions in the afternoon. The latter covering topics like sarcoidosis, Still’s disease, fibromyalgia, back pain, sarcopenia, APS, IgG4 and imaging in vasculitis.

EULAR Congress 2022 highlighted several posters on pregnancy, an important subject as most rheumatic diseases afflicts women during their childbearing years. I wanted to share with you the ones that caught my eye because they can potentially impact medical practice.

It’s good to be back into full, big meeting mode. Highlights included a EULAR Recommendation Session, where updated guidelines were presented for the management of a) ANCA-associated Vasculitis, b) ASAS/EULAR recommendations for axSpA and c) RA. Here are a few of my favorites from Day 1.