Articles By Olga Petryna, MD
TNF Inhibitors May Increase Cardiac Risks in Elderly
A retrospective study of elderly rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on Medicare was conducted by a group of researchers from the University of Alabama.
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PALACE 3 Study: Apremilast Shows 52 Wk. Efficacy in Active Psoriatic Arthritis
Apremilast, a novel phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibiting conversion of cyclic AMP to AMP, was approved for treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) after showing its efficacy in 16 weeks PALACE 1, 2, and 3 trials in 2014.
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Lesinurad augments uric acid lowering effect in allopurinol non-responders
As the never-ending battle with refractory gout continues, the need for more safe and effective treatments remains. Often, steady remission and target urate levels are not achieved with allopurinol alone.
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New Scoring System Predicts 1 year survival in Hip Fracture Patients
A prospective study was conducted in Germany to establish predictors of 1 year survival after a hip fracture in elderly people.
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Increased Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Although ankylosing spondylitis affects a predominantly male population, the ratio of men to women has declined from 9-10:1 in earlier studies to more recent estimates of 2-3:1 (F:M).
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DRIVE Trial: Denosumab and Methotrexate Prevent Joint Erosions
Joint erosions in RA result from a complex process with multiple contributing mechanisms. One of those mechanisms involves RANK receptor activation by RANKL leading to osteoclast differentiation, activation and survival.
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EULAR 2015 Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment Guidelines
The management of psoriatic disease, including psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has evolved significantly in the last decade. Nevertheless, there are still some uncertainties - such as what the role of methotrexate should be, and when to use newer and novel therapies.
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Power Doppler Ultrasound Detects Early Synovitis Change in APPRAISE Study
While new recommendations suggest early aggressive management of rheumatoid arthritis, our ability to assess treatment response is limited to clinical and laboratory assessment.
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Surviving Infection on DMARDs or Biologics
Sepsis is a dangerous and potentially fatal consequence of serious infections (SIE), particularly in susceptible populations such as the elderly and immunosuppressed. Published evidence points toward the potential role of TNF in development of sepsis.
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Hip Fracture Risk Factors in the Elderly
As risk of hip fracture increases with advanced age, our knowledge of risk factors for hip fracture among very old people remains limited.
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