Malignancies with Giant Cell Arteritis

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The Journal of Rheumatology reports the findings of a Swedish population-based cohort study of biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients showing that the overall risk for cancer was not increased; yet there appears to be an increased risk for leukemia and a decreased risk for breast and u

EMA Final Recommendations on VTE Risk with Tofacitinib

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On 14 November 2019 the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that Xeljanz (tofacitinib) could increase the risk of blood clots in the lungs and in deep veins in patients who are already at high risk.  These recommendations have been formally published and are intended for EU nation

Hospitalized GPA - Higher morbidity, Mortality and Cost

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Rheumatology reports on a study of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) showing worse outcomes and higher costs when hospitalized with GPA.

Diabetes in OA: Pain Is Worse

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Among patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), pain was greater for those with coexisting diabetes mellitus (DM), and this association was independent of obesity and radiographic severity, European researchers found. 

RheumNow Podcast - Despite Corona (3.6.20)

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

Need for Disruptive Innovation in Rheumatology

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A full-read, novel Viewpoint article published in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease (Huizinga TWJ, et al) spotlights a recent international meeting of big thinkers, scientific collaborators and industry dedicated to innovation in rheumatology.

Venom Peptide-Steroid Conjugate Effective in Collagen Induced Arthritis

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Science Translational Medicine features a report from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center showing that a scopion venom peptide, coupled to steroid, can significantly reduce joint inflammation in a rat model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Updates on Psoriatic Arthritis at ACR 2018

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I think 2018 was the year that belonged to psoriatic arthritis (although some may argue in favor of immune conditions induced by Checkpoint inhibitors). Many years ago the late Professor Verna Wright in Leeds (UK) was a lone voice for many years describing the clinical subtypes of Psoriatic arthritis as something distinctive from rheumatoid arthritis. For a long time we thought that the treatments for PsA were just the same as RA since we were treating the same problem of synovitis.

Drug Interactions with Cannabinoids

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Cannbinoids are widely available and used for a variety of indications, but little is known about their safety and their potential for drug interactions. The Canadian Medical Journal has published a review of drug interactions with cannabinoids, many of which are mediated by cytochrome-P450 metabolism.

Airway Inflammation Drives Rheumatoid Risk

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A cohort analysis of the Nurses' Health Study suggests that asthma and COPD are associated with increased risk for incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA), independent of smoking- thus airway inflammation may be an important factor in the evolution of pre-cllnical RA.

Don't Blame the Weather in Sjogren's

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Seasonal variations in symptoms -- commonly reported by patients with rheumatic diseases -- were not observed in a large cohort of patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome, French investigators found.

Folate Levels Protect from CV Mortality in RA

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In a study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, JAMA reports that serum folate level of greater than 4.3 ng/mL was associated with lower CV mortality risk.