In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there was no increased risk for malignancy development seen with newly initiated tocilizumab (Actemra) treatment, an analysis of three U.S. insurance claim databases found.

Courtesy of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) website, here are consensus guidelines on medical cannabis use. Rheumatology patients experience prevalent pain that is only modestly controlled with current treatment strategies.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week's news and highlights from RheumNow.com.

The Myopathy Committee of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology (BSR) has put forward recommendations for the management of patients with systemic autoimmune myopathies (SAM). The challenge has been that there is a paucity of effective controlled clinical trials, and hence, glucocorticoids (GC) have played a first-line and prominent role in the treatment of SAM.

A claims data analysis shows that only one-third of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) therapy remain on their initial drug in the 2 years post initiation.

First-line treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) with anakinra (Kineret) was highly effective as monotherapy, minimizing the need for glucocorticoids, a single-center prospective study found.

A EULAR international committee of 15 experts in pediatric rheumatology have established consensus-based recommendations for the management of juvenile localised scleroderma (JLS).JLS is an uncommon disorder that is commonly seen by pediatric and adult rheumatologists. Evidence-based guidelines are sparse and management is mostly based on physicians’ experience.

JAMA reports that tramadol use in adults with osteoarthritis (OA) may be associated with increased all-cause mortality (compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has established new guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of sleep-disordered breathing in adults, specifically guiding the use of positive airway pressure (PAP) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. 

The Swedish Society of Rheumatology has developed evidence-based guidelines for the management of giant cell arteritis (GCA) with a focus on the appropriate use of corticosteroids and tocilizumab. 

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com

A UK study of early onset arthritis or new rheumatoid arthritis patients shows multiple sources of delayed referral to the first rheumatology consultation.

Children of autoantibody-positive mothers who were born with congenital heart block were at high risk for developing later cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders, as were their siblings, Swedish researchers reported.

A systematic review has shown that TNF inhibitors (TNFi) are equaled in efficacy by other biologic agents (ustekinumab, secukinumab, and ixekizumab) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with in dactylitis and enthesitis.

Data from the longitudinal Tromsø Lupus Cohort study has shown that lupus patients who achieve a Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS‐50) were shown to have significantly less severe damage, and a reduction in mortality. This was a population‐based study of SLE patients in the northern‐most counties of Norway.