Annals of Internal Medicine reports that age-adjusted mortality rates for antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody–associated vasculitides (AAV) have improved over time - with a decline of nearly 2 percent per year in the United States from 1999 to 2017. Nevertheless, long-term outcomes continue to lag behind mortality rates of the general population.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years ago
ASBMR meeting presented a study of patients w/ CKD showing that 12 mos romosuzumab improved BMD in lumbar spine, hip, and femoral neck in pts with mild to moderate renal impairment - not enough pts w/ severe CKD to conclude its effects.
Even though oral bisphosphonates are widely used, there is an inordinate concern over the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). A new UK study suggests that the risk of ONJ is elevated six fold by the use of biphosphonates.
Reuters has reported the results of a recent Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) analysis showing that biologics, especially Humira and Rituxan, are leading the way in the cost of drugs in the USA.
All told, Humira and Rituxan topped a list of seven treatments whose combined 2017 and 2018 price hikes accounted for a $5.1 billion increase in U.S. drug spending. ICER said their analysis points to price hikes that were more than
Elevated serum levels of interferon-α among patients whose systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was in remission helped predict future disease flares, European researchers found.
Among 254 SLE patients who were in remission, 26% had abnormally high serum levels of interferon-α at baseline, according to Alexis Mathian, MD, of Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, and colleagues.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years ago
Note to Colleague: How can you possibly diagnose and treat ankylosing spondylitis in a patient with polyarthralgias, +B27 but nothing else (no enthesitis, Pso, IBD, Abnl Schobers and neg SI films)?? The diagnosis (poor sleep, tender points) was obvious. You know who you are
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years ago
Osteoarthritis Initiative studied 4344 knee OA looking at bulge sign (12.7%) & patellar tap (2%); 3.3% had both. Bulge sign increased risk of freq knee pain (OR 1.31) & TKR [OR 1.47); developing a bulge sign had incr risk of same & Xray worsening (OR 1.67) https://t.co/3HtBrkzAtk
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years ago
225 very early RA in abatacept AVERT study - 44% had high baseline MRI inflammation. With High MRI inflammation, combo ABA+MTX was better than MTX at 12 mos remission by SDAI (45% vs 16%). Pts w/ low baseline MRI inflammation, remission rates did the same https://t.co/A9MRSWaKGB
The FUTURE 5 trial studied the effect of secukinumab (SEC) on radiographic progression through 52 weeks in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and found that SEC was clinically and radiographically superior to placebo (PBO).
Patients received s.c. secukinumab 300 mg load (300 mg), 150 mg load (150 mg), 150 mg no load regimens or placebo at baseline, at weeks 1, 2 and 3 and every 4 weeks starting at week 4. The majority (87%) of
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years ago
Take the Good with the Bad? Study of 179 RA pts achieving remission on TCZ- SC 162 mg qwk randomized to continue qWk or space out to q2Wk -- Weekly Actemra better maintained remission (90% versus 73%; P = 0.004), but then again 73% did well w/ spacing EOW. https://t.co/Tcb2WwCbc2
Mike Putman EBRheum
7 years ago
2/ ...but practicing docs use such criteria to:
1. Diagnose patients in clinical practice
2. Teach disease definitions to trainees
Perhaps we should stop making classification criteria entirely and just accept that the field needs diagnostic criteria instead? I
American College of Rheumatology ACRheum
7 years ago
Arthritis Care & Research Editors Pick: Impact of Patient's Global Assessment on Achieving Remission in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Multinational Study Using the METEOR Database → https://t.co/wWjIrVHqqJ
Another UK study has suggested that prior use of antibiotics increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Rheumatology has published a 15 year case–control study that compared 8482 newly diagnosed RA patients and 22,661 controls from the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre database (between 2006 and 2018).
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years ago
T2T in Lupus Nephritis aims for less proteinuria, Study of 87 pts with class III/IV LN compared goal of urine protein/creat ratio(UPCR) < 0.5 to stringent < 0.15, Latter assoc w/ lower renal flares (HR 0.16), less CKD (HR 0.19), more MMF use (HR = 7.26) https://t.co/0LSXTiUAaV
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years ago
The RheumNow Podcast is up! Women are Taking Over Rheumatology. Watch is on the website>> https://t.co/YuDVm1lLXZ or listen to thoe podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast or SoundCloud >> https://t.co/A8FzdUaEk2
