Predictors of Remission and Low Disease Activity in SLE

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A treat-to-target strategy has been shown to improve clinical outcomes in patients with rheumatic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis including systemic lupus erythematosus.  The goal of treatment in SLE is aimed at remission or low disease activit

ACR21 – Day 3 Report

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Hitting the home stretch, day 3 presentations were big! Here are a few of my favorites: secukinumab efficacy in juvenile PsA; VEXAS - predicting poor outcomes; and the FDA Safety Update session.

Monitoring Infliximab Drug Levels Improves Efficacy

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Should we start considering therapeutic drug monitoring when prescribing TNFi for treatment of our rheumatologic conditions?

Risks associated with mortality in VEXAS

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Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic syndrome (VEXAS) took the centre stage when it was first introduced at ACR20 last year. It got everyone’s thinking that they might have encountered one or two patients in their rheumatology lifetime who might have this condition.

Telemedicine Enriched Care Model for Autoinflammatory Diseases

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Traditionally telemedicine is thought to be a technology where a patient directly talks to a provider or a specialist; however, another concept of having a patient with a local primary care who in turn accesses specialists via video conferencing, is gaining some momentum.  

The Need for Comparative Treatment Trials in Psoriatic Arthritis

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Psoriatic arthritis is currently experiencing a burgeoning selection of treatment options. While this is a very welcome development in a disease which has had less treatment options compared to RA, it leaves us with a difficult conundrum: which agent to choose for an individual patient.

New Insights into Uveitis in Spondyloarthritis

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Uveitis is the most frequent extra-musculoskeletal manifestation (EAM) in Axial Spondyloarthritis (axSpA). The prevalence of uveitis in axSpA is between 25-30%. Up to 50% of patients with an acute episode of uveitis develop recurrent anterior uveitis or iritis.

ACR21 Best Abstracts We Saw - Day 3 (Monday)

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The third day of ACR 2021 took a big leap in online content.  Here is a compilation (with links) of presentations were the “ACRBest” as seen by our RheumNow faculty. 

Day 2 Report from ACR21

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This report highlights the VITAL trial; the ORAL Surveillance Study; and the Microbiome study of monozygotic psoriasis patients.

Axial spondyloarthritis with psoriasis or psoriatic spondylitis

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PsA commonly affects peripheral joints. In up to a quarter of PsA patients, the spine may be involved and this is known as psoriatic spondylitis (PsSpA). An important research question is whether PsSpA and Axial Spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) with psoriasis are separate conditions or not. 

Infection or Disease Flare: What Tools Can Help Differentiate?

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Differentiation between a flare of disease and infection in patients with autoinflammatory (AI) conditions, where fever is the hallmark, can be extremely difficult. Few studies have evaluated potential differentiators; and having such tools would meet a huge unmet need. 

Methotrexate and hepatic fibrosis: we must be doing something right

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Methotrexate may be a rheumatologist’s best friend, but a key part of counselling any patient about its use has always been the risk of hepatotoxicity.