News
The RheumNow Week in Review –Fateful Outcomes in Rheumatology (7.13.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. Fateful outcomes in Rheumatology, what happens to Seronegatives, IL-23 fails, MRI progression, Not all inflammatory back pain becomes SpA:
The Diverse Fate of Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis
A Finnish Rheumatology Center followed 435 early, seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for 10-years and found that only 3% became erosive or seropositive RA.
Defining Refractory RA by Biologic Use
A study from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register (BSRBR) has shown that biologic refractory disease is seen in at least 6% of patients who have ever received a biologic DMARD (bDMARDs).
Nailfold Capillary Density Predicts Dermatomyositis Lung Involvement
In patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (DM), an association was seen between low nailfold capillary density and pulmonary involvement, European researchers reported.
Liver Disease Increased in Psoriasis
An observational case-control study has shown that psoriasis is associated with an increased prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
IL-23 Inhibitor Fails in Ankylosing Spondylitis
A study of the IL-23 risankizumab in active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients failed to show efficacy and did not meet primary efficacy endpoints in a 6-month trial.
Systemic Sclerosis: More Common than Expected
Systemic sclerosis is more common in the United Kingdom than previously reported, a nationwide population-based study determined.
Obesity, Hypertension and Diuretics Drive Gout Risk
A recent metanalysis suggests that obesity, hypertension and diuretic use are associated with a two-fold increased risk of incident gout.
From a potential of 9923 articles, researchers analyzed 11 studies with data suitable for the meta-analysis.
Hydroxychloroquine Being Over-Dosed with New Guidelines?
Hydroxychloroquine retinopathy prevention guidelines have revised from ideal body weight-based dosing to actual body weight-based dosing; the question remains whether these have been adopted in clinical practice. A database of nearly 21,000 new HCQ users from a UK general population database studied HCQ dosing and use between 2007 and 2016. Specifically they examined whether users were subjected to excess HCQ dosing per ophthalmology guidelines (defined by exceeding 6.5 mg/kg of IBW and 5.0 mg/kg of ABW).
Best of 2017: Cause of Death in Ankylosing Spondylitis
A French population based study of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was report in the Journal of Rheumatology.
They analyzed the death certificates and cause of death in 2940 AS patients over 3 different decades (1969-78; 1979-99; 2000-2009).
Best of 2017: Death Rates from Lupus Remain Disproportionately High
The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that despite improving trends in mortality, death rates from systematic lupus erythematosus (lupus) remain high compared to those in the general population, and disparities persist between subpopulations and geographic regions. Underreporting of lupus on death certificates may have resulted in underestimates of mortality rates.
