Outcomes

Telemedicine Updates

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Several recent articles inform us of recent trends in Telemedicine.

Xeljanz Cancer Risks Detailed

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The degree to which the oral rheumatology drug tofacitinib (Xeljanz) seems to promote new malignancies is now fleshed out in the latest, and at least somewhat reassuring, report from a landmark safety study.

Tofacitinib at either 5 or 10 mg twice daily in the so-called ORAL

Bimekizumab Efficacy in TNF-Refractory Psoriatic Arthritis

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Bimekizumab, a selective inhibitor of interleukin (IL)-17F and IL-17, has shown superior efficacy and safety in a 16 week trial in patients with active psoriatic arthritis who previously failed therapy with tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFi) inhibitors.

The BE COMPLETE study was a phase

Multi-ancestry analysis reveals novel genetic loci associated with Osteoarthritis

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The first large multi-ancestry genetics study of osteoarthritis (OA) has found 10 novel OA-associated genetic loci, and results showed some of the OA-associated regions are robustly found in every population ancestry studied. 

Lupus Linked With Greater Risk of Cardiovascular Complications of Childbirth

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Pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were more prone to cardiovascular complications during delivery, and their risk seems to have increased over the past 15 years, according to national administrative data.

The cross-sectional study supports the role that the

Rheum Drugs & IDSA Guidelines to Treat COVID-19

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The Infectious Diseases Society of America has recently updated its recommendations with regards to the treatment of severely ill, hospitalized COVID-19 infected patients and also about the appropriate use of anti-IL-6, JAKs and colchicine.

RECITAL Trial: RTX vs. CTX in CTD-ILD

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A UK study suggests the equivalent outcomes when patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with connective tissue disease (CTD) are treated with either intravenous rituximab (RTX) or cyclophosphamide (CTX), but with fewer adverse events with RTX. 

Just Can’t Get Enough of Hydroxychloroquine

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When it comes to hydroxychloroquine dosing, issues on efficacy, toxicity and therapeutic thresholds may affect the optimal use of this important drug.

Following are three abstracts presented during the meeting that address these topics.

Low Dose IL-2 Therapy in Sjögren’s

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There is a large, unmet need in treating Sjögren’s syndrome, yet a new randomized clinical trial has shown that low-dose interleukin 2 (LD-IL-2) was effective effective and well tolerated in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), with evidence of restored immune balance.

Tyk2 Inhibition Effective in SLE

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Deucravacitinib, an oral, selective TYK2 inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy in a phase II trial active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

The results of this phase II trial were recently presented at ACR 2022. This  phase II multinational trial enrolled 363 adults with

How Underweight Women Can Reduce Hip Fracture Risk

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How women can reduce the risk of hip fracture?  

Will a vegetarian diet and exercise actually help RA disease activity?

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The exact role of diet, physical activity, and stress management in the management of RA has long been debated. While reasonable evidence has supported the importance of physical activity in patients with RA, its capacity to reduce disease activity via conventional measures such as DAS28 was

The disconnect between objective inflammatory response and PROs in AxSpA

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The assessment of disease activity in AxSpA involves the use of objective inflammatory response (OIR) and patient reported outcomes (PROs). In clinics, a combination of OIR and PROs are used to measure disease activity and response to treatment. OIR includes measurements such as CRP and MRI

RA: MACE Events with Opioids vs. NSAIDs

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Addressing chronic pain often leads general practitioners and specialists to prescribe opioids. However, opioids (weak and strong) have not demonstrated efficacy in long-term pain management; their chronic use could even worsen pain in users. Opioids prescription is often perceived as being

SLE: Variability in Racial Disparities in Pregnancy Outcomes

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Significant disparities exist in pregnancy outcomes in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with previous cohorts identifying Black women as having a higher risk of maternal mortality compared to White women with SLE.

Why treatment of pre-RA isn't ready for prime time

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The ACR Great Debate was on "To treat or not to treat in pre-RA?". What is the clinician to do?

ACR 2022 Appraisal, Praise & Critique (11.18.2022)

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It was great to be back at an ACR annual meeting, this one in Philadelphia - Philly was great. A walking town, rich in culture, history and good places to meet and mingle. 

I loved the city, but not the convention center (not easy to navigate). 

The meeting itself was very

ACR Best Abstracts - Day 3

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The last day was jammed with important reports and research including the late breaking abstracts. 

ACR Best Abstracts - Day 2

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Day two at ACR 2022 was full of great sessions on imaging, vasculitis, lupus, vasculitis, spondyloarthritis, COVID, pregnancy, microbiome, economics and more.

Here are the RheumNow faculty selections for #ACRbest abstracts today:

Does Evusheld shield people living with rheumatic diseases?

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While COVID vaccination and subsequent booster remain the cornerstone, pre-exposure prophylaxis such as Evusheld (tixagevimab and cilgavimab) has been approved by FDA in December 2021 and EMA in March 2022 for people immunocompromised either due to a medical condition or receiving treatment with

SLE, Sex and STDs

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Once in a while, I find an abstract at the ACR meeting that can potentially save lives and be implemented in practice now.  

In Abstract #0939, Dr. J Patricia Dhar and colleagues shared data from a pilot study examining a new method to monitor cervical health in African American Women with

TNFi cycling in axSpA: Results from CorEVITAS Registy study

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Data presented at ACR22 shows that cycling through TNFi in axSpA patients with primary lack of efficacy with first line TNFi has limited additional benefit in controlling disease. 

Where are we with treating Pre-Rheumatoid Arthritis?

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The ability to prevent RA in individuals at risk is a holy grail in rheumatology. There is a long history dating back to the PROMPT trial of methotrexate and PRAIRIE trial of rituximab. Both otrials showed an effect, but it seemed more likely to be a delaying of RA than prevention or modulation

Are MDA criteria created equal in PsA?

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Minimal Disease Activity criteria are used to evaluate PsA disease activity and response to treatment. Given that a patient only has to meet 5 of the 7 criteria, should the individual components be weighted equally?