The RheumNow Week in Review - 17 November 2017 Save

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week he covers FDA warnings on gout drugs, steroid use in Australia, biosimilars lost savings and methotrexate hepatotoxicity in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

1. HTN redefined as 130/80!! The American Heart Association estimates the change will mean 46 percent of adults in the USA have HTN https://t.co/zVPZN8JaiX
2. 3699 RA pts in Australian registry show decreasing pred use from 2001-2015 (55%--39%). Corticosteroid use is  associated with use of DMARDs/NSAID/opioids, higher disease activity, lower pain scores, worse HAQ scores BUT was NOT associated w/ biologic use. https://t.co/UJxn1Wbzi1
3. IL-17–producing αβ T cell clones with psoriasis-specific antigen receptors exist in clinically resolved psoriatic skin lesions and represent the disease-initiating pathogenic T cells in psoriasis. https://t.co/Lj4B4dQ25N
4. Abbvies 9/17 settlement with Amgen that allows Amgens adalimumab biosimilar (Amjevita) to begin sales in EU Oct 2018 and in the USA in 2023 is estimated to cost the US Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) at least US$1.48 billion in savings. … https://t.co/S21dfEjadJ
5. FDA issues a Safety Alert over FEBUXOSTAT and increased risk of Cardiac Death (compared to allopurinol users). This is based on comparative 6000 pt safety trial wherein Febuxostat showed an increased risk of heart-related deaths and death from all causes. https://t.co/3clsintj7L
6. Smoking Paradox in PsA -  a UK study shows smoking was positively related to PsA risk in the general population (HR 1.27), but negatively associated with PsA risk among patients with psoriasis (HR 0.91). https://t.co/N7ZEgUYHhH
7. Metanalysis of 6 studies, 7908 controls and 2899 cases, showed that vitamin C intake was associated with lower risk of hip fracture [OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.55-0.97].  A 50 mg/d increase in vitamin C intake statistically reduced by hip Fx risk by 5%  https://t.co/k9qD4YySiX
8. Pregabalin (not duloxetine) improves pain in hand osteoarthritis in RCT vs PBO - improved pain and function. https://t.co/Hio2wfWLKx
9. Stroke Increased in Rheumatoid Arthritis  
10. MTX Doubles Hepatotoxicity Risk in Psoriasis Patients 
11. Thiopurines and Anti-TNF drugs in IBD Associated with Increased Lymphoma Risk