Canakinumab Fails to Improve COVID-19 Survival
JAMA has published the findings of trial wherein the anti–interleukin-1β antibody canakinumab (CAN) failed to improve survival in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19.
News
ACR/Vasculitis Foundation Guideline for Giant Cell Arteritis and Takayasu Arteritis
The ACR and the Vasculitis Foundation have published their evidence-based recommendations and expert guidance for the management of GCA and Takayasu arteritis. These recommendations address a variety of clinical questions and scenarios including diagnostic testing, imaging, treatments, and surgical interventions. Recommendations for GCA and TAK include support for the use of glucocorticoid-sparing immunosuppressive agents and the use of imaging to identify large vessel involvement. Recommendations for TAK include the use of glucocorticoids as initial therapy.
Impact of Nail Psoriasis on Psoriatic Arthritis
Mease and colleagues have shown that psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with nail involvement have worse disease and outcomes than those without nail psoriasis.
RheumNow Podcast – What Not to Do (7.16.2021)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Osteonecrosis in Lupus
A single center analysis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients found symptomatic osteonecrosis (ON) in nearly 10%.
Arthritis as a Harbinger of Pediatric Cancer
Lancet Rheumatology has published a cohort analysis showing that a small but significant subset of children presenting with arthralgia or arthritis may have a pediatric malignancy.
ACR/Vasculitis Foundation 2021 Guidelines for ANCA–Associated Vasculitis
Chung et al have published the 2021 treatment guielines for the management of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis, including granulomatosis with polyangiitis, microscopic polyangiitis, and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. These guidelines are put forth by the ACR and the Vasculitis Foundation as benchmark guidance to assist health care professionals in managing AAV.
Slow Steroid Tapering Succeeds in SLE
MedPage Today
Gradual withdrawal of glucocorticoids was successful among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after 2 years of clinically quiescent disease, without an increased likelihood of flares, Canadian researchers reported.
Potential Birth Defects with Hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is one of the safest meds used in rheumatology, but there is new claims data suggesting a small increase in the risk of malformations associated with first-trimester HCQ use.
Is Pre-Clinical Spondyloarthritis a Real Risk?
A study of first-degree relatives (FDRs) of HLA-B27-positive axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients shows clinical or imaging features of spondyloarthritis in up to 32% subjects, regardless of HLA-B27 status.
Rare Myocarditis Risk following COVID-19 Vaccine
CDC/MMWR
MMWR review of the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis reports a June 23, 2021 recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination clearly outweighed the risks of myocarditis after vaccination.
ICYMI: RheumNow Podcast – Tofacitinib Safety Concerns
Dr. Jack Cush reviews and discusses the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.
ICYMI: Anti-inflammatory Diet Control of Rheumatoid Arthritis
The TOMORROW study assessed the relationship between diet and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and has shown that RA patients are more likely to have higher inflammatory diets, but that a change to an anti-inflammatory diet resulted in lower disease activity s
ICYMI: 2020 Rheumatology Year in Review
2020 was historic, memorable and game-changing. Under the cloud of COVID-19, there were many significant and memorable advances and setbacks for the rheumatology world. In our accounting of most read articles for 2020, (not surprisingly) 17/20 were COVID-related.
ICYMI: Psoriatic Disease Management - RNL 2021 Highlights
This year’s coverage of psoriatic arthritis was once again, both exciting and informative. Topics included an overview of the latest therapeutic options, an excellent discussion on psoriasis specifically, and the epidemiology of psoriatic arthritis.