Methotrexate and leflunomide (LEF) are the most widely prescribed DMARDs worldwide; yet biologic DMARDs are the newest and best selling agents for rheumatoid arthritis worldwide. A recent study of combination therapy with MTX and LEF underscores the efficacy and safety of this approach and
Read Article
An increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in rheumatoid arthritis is well known and feared but an RA cohort study suggests that preventive medication use in RA patients lags behind that seen in diabetes mellitus (DM).
Read Article
JAMA has published the findings of trial wherein the anti–interleukin-1β antibody canakinumab (CAN) failed to improve survival in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19.
Other studies have suggested that the use of IL-1 inhibitors (anakinra) may improve COVID outcomes,
Read Article
Lancet Rheumatology has published a cohort analysis showing that a small but significant subset of children presenting with arthralgia or arthritis may have a pediatric malignancy.
This multicentre study sought to identify articular presentations of children manifesting
Read Article
2020 was historic, memorable and game-changing. Under the cloud of COVID-19, there were many significant and memorable advances and setbacks for the rheumatology world. In our accounting of most read articles for 2020, (not surprisingly) 17/20 were COVID-related. Below, are our top news items
Read Article
Neuropsychiatric (NP-SLE) or CNS lupus events range from mild to severe; several recent studies have noted that NPS lupus is common and should be screened for.
A metanalysis of the literature finds 22 studies wherein the mean frequency of NPSLE ranged from 10.6% to 96.4%. When researchers with
Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week’s news and journal reports featured on RheumNow.com.
Read Article
Dr. Jack Cush reviews and highlights his favorite abstracts and presentations from last week's virtual EULAR 2021 meeting.
Read Article
EULAR 2021 opened with a grand debate to answer this essential question: should clinicians treat to remission or to Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS)?
Read Article
Aurelie Najm @AurelieRheumo( View Tweet )
Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
Dr Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com
Metanalysis (11 RCTs, 19 registries) of Pulm arterial HTN assoc. w/ CTD (w/ 1,267 & 4,008 CTD-PAH pts), showed Investigational Rxs reduced morbidity/mortality by 36%. CTD-PAH survival
A French registry analysis compared the risk of diverticulitis and gastrointestinal perforation (GIP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with biologics and found a greater risk of both in patients receiving tocilizumab (TCZ) compared with those on rituximab (RTX) or abatacept (ABA
Read Article
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com - a website for rheumatologists, by rheumatologists.
We love Rheumatology!
CDC study from 33 sites, 25 states showed vaccine efficacy (against Sx COVID) in HCP was 82% with ONEdose
RheumNow Live (RNL) for 2021 was held March 20 - 21 in Fort Worth, TX, and now all can partake in the meeting - by video, podcast or by signing up for Tuesday Nite Rheumatology (TNR).
RNL has finished its 3rd year as a hybrid meeting, with the live meeting streamed to hundreds at home
Read Article
Links:
Petri and colleagues have published that measuring hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) blood levels can be useful in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as low levels are associated with an increased thrombotic risk in SLE.
In total cohort of 739 SLE patients, HCQ levels were serially quantified
Read Article
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the best journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Read Article
The ARTIC-REWIND study examined rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in remission on conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) to see if they could "step-down" their csDMARDs theray; but the study showed that 25% those who went on half-dose experienced disease
Read Article
The predictive value of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) while on biologics is debateable; gastroenterology routinely relies on TDM, while rheumatologists do not. A randomized trial compared TDM to no TDM in patients receiving infliximab for chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (
Read Article
JAMA has posted an insights article reviewing autoimmune thyroid disease in women. Thyroid autoimmunity has a higher prevalence in women and with increasing age.
Similar to many autoimmune disorders, thyroid disease is more common in women than in men.
Read Article
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common disorder affecting patients with and without autoimmune disease. Despite wider recognition of APS among physicians as well as the expanding research collaborations, many clinical questions are still encountered in clinical practice, which require further evidence-based studies. In this “Across the Table” edition, Drs. Cush and Erkan discuss some of these APS-related questions. Our guest expert, Dr. Doruk Erkan offers up his approach to diagnosis and management of APS.
Read Post
