Rheumatoid Arthritis

To "Thunder God Vine" from China, add fish oil and gluten-free diets as alternative remedies for rheumatoid arthritis. What is the evidence? Here, a review plus commentary from an expert.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients have a 1-in-4 chance of developing chronic kidney disease, according to research published in the American Journal of Kidney Disease.

Explanations for the "gender factor" in rheumatoid arthritis risk now include factors unique to the immune response among women, phenomena specific to pregnancy, and perhaps environmental factors including cosmetics.

The DAS28 disease-activity score has made the transition from research to clinic, but in some circumstances it may be misleading. A tool developed by a rheumatologist can help you explore how changes in components like ESR affect the score in unexpected ways.

Cardiovascular risk is known to be increased among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the interplay between inflammatory and cardiovascular causes and the possible role of medications muddle the picture. No wonder, perhaps, that rheumatologists have difficulty managing this risk. Here, some guidance from experts on the question.

Rheumatologists can dramatically reduce the chances of an infection common to RA patients on biologics -- pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) – with a simple regimen of prophylactic antibiotics, a small study suggests.

There's limited study of whether disease-modifying drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, with the exception of methotrexate and anakinra, present a risk to a fetus. However, curiously, adverse pregnancy outcomes may increase a healthy mother's risk for developing RA.

Tocilizumab (Actemra) appears to dampen inflammation, increase hemoglobin, and improve inflammatory anemia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), judging from post hoc analysis of a randomized late-stage clinical trial.

A study from the Netherlands has found a range of minimum serum levels of adalimumab that are associated with a good clinical response in rheumatoid arthritis. As in other studies, adding methotrexate helps.

ACR2013: A new study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden suggests that hormone therapy may reduce the risk for ACPA-positive rheumatoid arthritis.

Two new strategies for breaking through the tangle of pathways to identify those most important to rheumatoid arthritis treatment converge on a shared goal: personalized medicine.

ACR 2013: Debates about drug costs in rheumatoid arthritis dominated discussions at ACR this year, and one session was formally billed a debate. Will less-costly triple therapy someday be mandated for early RA?

During their "Great Debate" keynote session of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2013 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, two leading rheumatologists took direct aim at each other's significant clinical trial data to provide rationale for choosing biologics over triple therapy - or vice versa - as the treatment of choice for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Recent English-language guidelines agree that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) needs to prompt treatment. But the definition of "early RA," and the regimens, differ considerably.

A tocilizumab-methotrexate combo appears to inhibit circulating biomarkers of joint tissue remodeling at sites of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.

With the FDA poised to issue guidance for mobile health app designers, this review includes several well-regarded apps for rheumatoid arthritis and mentions a few newcomers.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients taking a combination of etanercept (Enbrel) and methotrexate do better, but only slightly, than those on monotherapy with the tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor, according to a Canadian multicenter clinical trial.

Final results from the international AMPLE Trial show nearly identical benefits for abatacept (Orencia) and adalimumab (Humira) plus methotrexate for early rheumatoid arthritis.

A biomarker of tissue destruction called C1M can show disease activity among rheumatoid arthritis patients to monitor drug therapy, and can detect joint damage progression.

Contrary to American College of Rheumatology recommendations, analysis of data from a clinical trial reveals methotrexate monotherapy as the best initial treatment for early rheumatoid arthritis that has a poor outlook.

Though recent reviews were unable to provide evidence of efficacy for several complementary treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a group of researchers decided to clinically evaluate the effectiveness of static electric field therapy by high voltage alternating current (EF-HVAC) in the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder.

Images taken 7 months apart show subtle densities of the left knee that has been causing pain. The woman also has subluxation of the fingers, without erosion.

EULAR 2013: Data to support effectiveness of a new biomarker test for rheumatoid arthritis that is already on the market have now been reported in a public presentation.

EULAR 2013: Two-year data from a head-to-head comparison of abatacept and adalimumab show them comparably effective for rheumatoid arthritis. But the former is less costly with fewer noteworthy adverse effects.

EULAR 2013: A study analyzing levels of physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients finds that being sedentary does not generally correlate with common signs of physical disability.