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      Spotlight on Comorbidities from EULAR 2026
      • EurekAlert!
      Systemic autoimmune diseases are associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality – possibly through autonomic imbalance, myocardial inflammation, or fibrotic infiltration of the conduction system. A team in Colombia have been looking into the risk of cardiac arrhythmias and conduction disorders in adults with systemic autoimmune diseases compared with the general population – with the aim of 
      For years, peripheral spondyloarthritis has been managed with a cautious, stepwise approach: start with NSAIDs, escalate to conventional synthetic DMARDs, and only reach for biologics when everything else fails. The SPARTACUS trial, presented at EULAR 2026 in London, challenges that paradigm head-on. The results make a compelling case for rethinking when, not just whether, to deploy TNF inhibitors.
      This update includes new pandemic era evidence, recombinant zoster vaccine data, and new perspectives on vaccination in patients taking novel immunosuppressants. Five overarching principles and 10 vaccine recommendations follow.
      It’s time for Rheumatology RoundUp from EULAR 2026 from London, UK. Drs. Artie Kavanaugh and Jack Cush review their choice presentations from the meeting, offering their perspectives on impact and applicability.
      Psoriatic arthritis develops in approximately 20 to 30 per cent of patients with psoriasis, yet predicting which patients will make the transition and when, has remained one of the most clinically challenging questions in rheumatology. A study presented at EULAR 2026 provides the most granular ultrasound characterisation yet of the journey from psoriasis, through subclinical disease, to early clinical PsA. The study identifies the specific
      Across EULAR 2026 abstracts this year and presented in a session called “this is a woman’s world”, strong signals are emerging that the menopausal transition is associated with changes in disease phenotype, disease activity, and treatment response in both RA and PsA.
      The last day in London was exciting as both the Late-Breaking abstracts and new EULAR guidelines were presented. Guidelines presented addressed several significant unmet need areas including PMR, GCA, Takayasu’s arteritis, Vaccinations in Rheumatic patients, Imaging in spondyloarthritis and classification criteria for the Anti-Synthetase Syndrome. Here are but a few of my favorites from a list of many quality sessions.
      Day 3 was an interesting mix of posters, oral presentations, and review sessions on many practical subjects like osteoarthritis, large vessel vasculitis, systemic sclerosis, and pregnancy. Here are a few of my recommended abstracts from Friday at EULAR 2026.
      At EULAR 2026, Dr Nikolaos Kougkas presented data from a unique real-world cohort built within joint dermatology–rheumatology university centers, following 394 patients with psoriasis on bDMARDs for up to 17 years. We sat down with Dr Kougkas to unpack the methodology, challenge the results, and draw out the clinical implications for everyday practice.
      At the "What Is New in Psoriatic Arthritis" session at EULAR 2026, Professor Dennis McGonagle (Leeds, UK) took the audience on a whirlwind yet compact tour of the field, touching on three themes: the pathophysiology of PsA, individualization of clinical management, and emerging research and future directions.
      Clinicians often come across the scenario of a patient with well-controlled spondyloarthritis where the ASDAS in the low disease activity range, CRP normalised, joints clinically quiet. However, the patient returns to the clinic still reporting significant pain. Their rheumatologist adjusts the biological, waits, returns. The pain persists.
      Over 70% of patients with PsA struggle with excess weight, amplifying synovio-entheseal inflammation and blunting biologic response. The rapid uptake of GLP-1RAs in rheumatology has raised an urgent mechanistic question: are clinical gains in PsA driven purely by weight reduction, or do these agents carry intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties? EULAR 2026 offered six abstracts that together illuminate, without fully resolving, this question.
      Dietary interventions are rarely taken as seriously as pharmacological therapies in rheumatology. Yet patients ask about them constantly, and an increasing number of studies suggest that nutrition may influence disease outcomes. Two randomized controlled trials presented at EULAR 2026 add to this growing literature in PsA and RA. However, before we start prescribing Mediterranean diets, the data deserve a closer look.
      Pharmaceutical companies are presenting pivotal clinical trial results and key data analyses at the EULAR 2026 Congress (June 3–6, London). Below is a summary of their most important studies — many of which are registration-enabling or will directly shape treatment decisions in rheumatic diseases.
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