Annals of Rheumatic Disease has published a Danish population based study demonstrating the high mortality rates seen with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Between the years 2004 and 2016, researchers identified 679 RA patients with RA-ILD and matched these (age, gender) against 11 722 RA patients without ILD.

The RheumNow Week in Review discusses the past week's news, journal articles and highlights from RheumNow.com. This week's report discusses metabolic syndrome in lupus, bisphosphonate holidays, vasculitis and vascular inflammation, vaccination, and the repeated wonders of Vitamin D.

A Swedish study has shown that occupational silica exposure increases the incidence rates of sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in those exposed workers in Swedish iron foundries. Researchers studied personnel records from 10 iron foundries to identify workers who may be at risk.  They examined 2187 silica-exposed male workers exposed for at least 1 year for a total of 23,807 person-years at risk.

Angie is my last patient before lunch. I've known her since her RA diagnosis at age 17 years. And for the last 7 years, she’s matured into a fabulous young woman who has adeptly grown her professional life, her dating life and developed her independence, despite her severely active rheumatoid arthritis. But today I see she has a troubled and anxious look as I greet her. 

Reuters reports that the FDA advisory panel has voted 11-0 in favor of the safety and efficacy and ultimate approval of GlaxoSmithKline’s Shingrix shingles vaccine for use in adults aged 50 and over.

It is well known that influenza infection is more common in patients with rheumatologic diseases. Blumentals et al. showed that patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk for influenza regardless of DMARD/biologic use and may have a 2.75-fold increased incidence of related complications (https://buff.ly/2gYNTSz).

Interleukin-4 has been shown to activate sensory neurons involved in pruritus, and that inhibition of IL-4 with Jak inhibition significantly alleviates itching.

Infections and noninfectious pulmonary disease were associated with an increased risk for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), a Swedish study found.

 Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is the adult continum of systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SoJIA). Treatment of this febrile polyarticular systemic disorder can be complex, but has been relieved by several specific biologic therapies.

The RheumNow Week in Review discusses the past week's news, journal articles and highlights from RheumNow.com. This week's report includes trends in MTX use and outcomes, fibromyalgia as an inflammatory disorder, drugs that stop psoriasis pruritus, drugs that don't cause TB, cardiovascular risk, and what Rheums think of ACR/EULAR criteria.

Hugo E. Jasin, M.D., a long-time faculty member at The University of Texas Southwestern Medeical Center and the University of Arkansas College of Medicine, passed away on August 24th, at the age of 84 years.

The introduction of a growing number of biosimilars into the market poses a substantial change in cost of care for patients with inflammatory rheumatologic disorders.  

A large multi-center study of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has shown, after nearly 6 years follow-up, more CV events in males than females (21% vs. 11%, respectively) and that RA itself accounts for 30% of the attributable CV risk.