Improved Survival in Lupus
A longitudinal study of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from the Toronto Lupus Clinic has shown that mortality has decreased over time.
News
Statins in RA Patients Without CVD: Nonsignificant Results
Patients with RA, but without CV disease, who were treated with atorvastatin appeared to experience cardiovascular (CV) benefits similar to what has been observed in other populations, with a risk reduction of approximately one-third, according to a large, but prematurely terminated, trial in the
Sleep Myths Debunked
A panel of 10 sleep experts studied 20 common sleep myths and found little or no evidence in support of these beliefs.
Sleep issues are highly prevalent among US adults, but few admit to it or do anything to manage it.
Higher Comorbidities in Hidradenitis Suppurativa
JAMA Dermatology reports that patients with hidradenitis suppurativa have significantly more comorbidities than do patients with psoriasis.
RheumNow Podcast – Eat Your Veggies (4.19.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Timing of Shoulder Injections Impacts Surgical Infection Risk
A study of patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair shows that corticosteroid injections in the month prior to surgery are associated with a significantly increased risk of surgical site infection.
Polypharmacy Blunts Responses and Ups the Safety Risks
A study from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register (BSRBR-RA) demonstrates that polypharmacy is a predictor of lower treatment responses and more serious adverse events (SAEs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.
EULAR 2019 Update to Lupus Management
The goal of SLE treatment is remission or low disease activity and flare prevention. Hydroxychloroquine is recommended in all patients with lupus, at a dose not exceeding 5 mg/kg real body weight. Glucocorticoids (GC) should be minimised to less than 7.5 mg/day (prednisone equivalent). Appropriate initiation of immunomodulatory agents (methotrexate, azathioprine, mycophenolate) can be tailored to the clinical scenarios and may allow for tapering or discontinuation of GC.
Mortality Risk Factors in Systemic Sclerosis
A French cohort study of 625 systemic sclerosis (SStc) patients has found a significantly increased mortality risk that can be predicted by common clinical variables.
Intraarticular Trans-Capsaicin Effective in Knee OA
A novel study has shown that intraarticular therapy with high‐purity synthetic trans‐capsaicin (CNTX‐4975) for chronic knee osteoarthritis (KOA) was associated with significant relief of knee pain.
Smoking Not Protective Against Knee OA
Researchers found no protective effect of smoking against knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to a new longitudinal cohort study of 620 individuals with meniscal tears treated at five sites in Denmark.
Better Tests Ahead in Lupus
The advent of "big data" and "-omics" technologies offers hope that clinicians will soon have better diagnostics for systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatologists here were told.
