Comorbidities Drive Risk of Severe Outcomes with COVID-19

Save

The current edition of the MMWR from the CDC shows that among those vaccinated against COVID-19, there is a low risk of severe outcomes (hospitalization and death); the highest risk is seen in those with multiple comorbidities.

COVID Breakthrough Infections with Arthritis and HIV

Save

Among immunocompromised individuals vaccinated against COVID-19, solid organ transplant recipients as well as those with HIV and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were significantly more likely to experience breakthrough infections versus people without immune dysfunction, a retrospective study found.

New Onset Rheumatic Disorders with COVID-19 Infection

Save

The journal Cells has published a review of new rheumatic disorders following COVID-19 infection. Rheumatologists have infrequently noted such events and wondered what is the true incidence or range of possible manifestations.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children

Save

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is new and serious complication of COVID-19 that preferentially affects adolescents. A review of proposed management guidelines is compiled in this report, suggesting a unified approach to therapeutic management of MIS-C.

Autoantibody Associations in Systemic Sclerosis

Save

Analysis of two large cohorts of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients shows a signfiicant minority of patients to have autoantibodies typical of rheumatoid erosive arthrits, but their presence in SSc patients was associated with unique manifestations of SSc. 

Spesolimab, an IL-36 Blocker, in Pustular Psoriasis

Save

The NEJM has published the results of a phase 2 randomized trial showing that the use of an interleukin-36 receptor inhibitor, spesolimab, resulted in rapid improvement of generalized pustular psoriasis (at 1 week), but that adverse events and infections were of concern with 12 weeks of foll

Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in Rheumatic Patients

Save

Since the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in January 2021, rheumatologists have fully advocated the protective benefits of their use - yet many have rarely noted flares and reactive side effects worrisome to patients.  Now a multinational study shows that the use of COVID vaccination in rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease is safe, well-tolerated with very rare serious adverse events.

Best of 2021: Jack of All Subspecialties

Save

It's great to be a rheumatologist, but boy, it's getting harder and harder. You have to be a jack of all trades. You have to be good at cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, vaccination, inflammatory bowel disease - it just never ends. This and more, as Dr. Cush summarizes more than a dozen journal articles, news reports and questions + cases.

Best of 2021: Perspectives on CV safety: JAKi (Tofacitinib) and TNF inhibitors

Save

Safety comparisons of JAKi (tofacitinib) vs. TNFi from Oral Surveillance showed that, in patients with active RA on MTX and aged >50 years with one or more CV risk factors, that there was numerically more MACE events, malignancies, and VTE especially in higher dose.

Best of 2021: FDA Puts Boxed Warnings on JAK Inhibitors

Save

Based on the safety review of tofacitinib in Pfizer's Oral Surveillance (1133) study, the FDA has added serious boxed warnings to all three marketed JAK inhibitors (for inflammatory diseases) and formalized the recommendation that patients should be started on a TNF inhibitor (TNFi) before trying a JAK inhibitor. These recommendations apply to tofacitinib, baricitinib and upadacitinib.

Best of 2021: Comparison of Three Coronavirus Vaccines

Save

On Feb. 27, the Food and Drug Administration announced it has issued an emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose Covid vaccine, making it the third COVID-19 vaccine to be commercially available.  We've compiled a comparison table and some key information relevant to your delivering patient guidance henceforth. 

Best of 2021: Tofacitinib Safety Concerns

Save

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

Best of 2021: Israel provides COVID vaccine answers for rheumatic disease patients

Save

The question as to how autoimmune rheumatic disease patients fare with the COVID vaccine is one being asked in rheumatologists’ offices everywhere this year, and at the EULAR 2021 Virtual Congress, data presented from Israel, one of the first countries to vaccinate on a br

Best of 2021: 11 Drugs That Cause Arthritis

Save

This is the #1 question I get from new consults: “How did I get arthritis?” But as the aching are asking, they are really thinking these joint complaints must be due to something.

Best of 2021: FDA Approves Anifrolumab in SLE

Save

AstraZeneca announced today that anifrolumab (Saphnelo or anifrolumab-fnia) was approved by the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for that treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are receiving standard therapy.