A reader question ("Ask Well") to the New York times wonders "is arthritis avoidable"?

A recent survey suggests that up to 60% of adults have been told by an HCP they had some form of arthritis.

The article points out that "aches and pains" may be more prevalent with age, but is not necessarily a diagnosis of arthritis. 

The response written by non-rheumatologist author attempts an answer by touching on modifiable risk factors, that include:

Two independent data sets suggests the prevalence of gout among Asians has grown such that this sub-population has numerically surpassed all other racial and ethnic groups by 2018.

The initial study is a population-based, cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; 2011-2018). These analyses were replicated using UK Biobank (2006-2021) data to compare gout frequency in Asian vs White populations.

The British Medical Journal has publish a matched cohort analysis demonstrating that adults receiving denosumab had a lower risk of incident type 2 diabetes (NIDDM) compared with those taking oral bisphosphonates for osteoporosis.

Design Population based study involving emulation of a randomized target trial using electronic health records.

Why does the Association of Women in Rheumatology (AWIR, pronounced AWARE) exist?  Recalling a singular event several years ago prompted the action of four women to rectify the issue we were witnessing. Rheumatologists are increasingly female, and yet the leadership roles are still male dominant. Empowering females to amplify their own voices became our mantra and call to action. 

Dr. Yvonne Sherrer and second-year fellow Dr. Corin Agoris discuss a case where extended time led to improved patient outcomes.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports and addresses 3 viewer case questions.

ACR Convergence 2023, the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the world’s premier rheumatology experience, will be held Nov. 10 – 15 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. This year’s meeting includes the return of an in-person poster hall, five in-person networking lounges, CME for select plenary sessions, and an extra half day of scientific sessions.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) can be a life-threatening infection in immunocompromised patients. The 2023 EULAR Vasculitis guidelines recommends primary prophylaxis with antibiotics, especially in rheumatic disease patients receiving rituximab (RTX).

This analysis identified RTX treated patients from 3 medical centers in South Korea between 2004-2020, and analyzed 818 RTX treated rheumatic patients, 419 of whom received trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis.

Over 663 patient-years, they identified 11 PJP cases, with a 64% mortality rate.

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had higher risks for maternal and fetal morbidity compared to those without the chronic autoimmune disorder, according to a nationwide analysis of U.S. data.

The 10-year study showed that patients with SLE had higher intrauterine growth restriction versus people without SLE (8.0% vs 2.7%) and more frequent preterm delivery (14.5% vs 7.3%), reported researchers led by Bella Mehta, MD, of Weill Cornell Medical College and Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

New research highlights potential safety concerns around women taking romosozumab, a new anti-osteoporosis drug available on the NHS. The University of Bristol-led study, published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, analysed genetic data on nearly 34,000 people.

A current review of the epidemiology of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) in the USA shows a low prevalence with possibly increasing numbers, owing to increasing awareness of this unique immune-mediated condition.

Epidemiologic data and outcomes were gleaned from analysis of commercial insurance claims (Optum’s Clinformatics Data Mart Database; 2009 to 2021). Mortality rates for IgG4-RD were compared to a non-IgG4-RD population matched in a 1:10 ratio on age, sex, and race/ethnicity. 

A UK population-based study suggests that autoimmune diseases affect approximately one in ten individuals.

In appears that the risk of autoimmune disease may be increasing as autoimmune frequency was 1/31 in 1997 and in 2005 the risk was 1/12 in women and 1/20 in men (total: 23.5 million) in the USA.

A UK population-based study suggests that autoimmune diseases affect approximately one in ten individuals.

In appears that the risk of autoimmune disease may be increasing as autoimmune frequency was 1/31 in 1997 and in 2005 the risk was 1/12 in women and 1/20 in men (total: 23.5 million) in the USA.

Genetic blood tests indicated that Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) and a cytokine called APRIL were overexpressed in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome who subsequently developed lymphoma, French researchers reported, suggesting that BTK inhibitors might be useful in this population.

Researchers from Harvard have reported their analysis showing that the large increase in colchicine cost in 2010 was associated with an immediate decrease in colchicine prescription use, with a 10 year increase in emergency department and rheumatology gout visits suggesting poorer gout control.

In 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration’s discontinued lower-priced (generic) versions of colchicine in favor of new research on an old drug with the advantage of patent protection. 

A cohort study analyzed the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in dermatomyositis (DM) patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

Previous studies have shown an increased risk of VTE in DM patients, usually within 2 years of onset. Moreover, the FDA has recently approved IVIG for use in DM, but it too carries a black box warning for increased risk of thrombosis. This study examined the association between treatment of DM with IVIG and thromboembolic events.

Opportunistic and chronic infections may be rare and are often difficult to diagnose, especially in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD), that may be immunocompromised. A EULAR task force has established recommendations for screening and prophylaxis against OI. 

An international Task Force (with 22 members, from 15 countries) formulated recommendations, supported by systematic literature review findings.  This resulted in four overarching principles and eight recommendations.