Rheumatoid Arthritis

Vibeke Strand, MD, MACR, FACP, reviews the tools available to clinicians to improve treatment selection in RA, focusing on the molecular signature response classifier test.

Disease activity and burden were higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with Medicaid or Medicare coverage, African American patients, and those residing in Southern regions.

Dr Vibeke Strand highlights the use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in the treatment of RA.

Vibeke Strand, MD, MACR, FACP, provides an overview of treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis.

“Reversing and preventing adverse lifestyle factors could potentially reduce the incidence and burden of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as alleviate its comorbidities,” investigators hypothesized.

Katinka Albrecht, MD, and Johanna Callhoff, MSc, discuss the results of their recent study evaluating patients with rheumatoid arthritis and concomitant interstitial lung disease.

Although no incidence trends were observed in a German cohort, the data indicate patients with ILD-RA have received more biological/targeted synthetic DMARDs in recent years.

A total of 608 patients from an early RA cohort that had baseline radiographs of hands and feet, as well as at 1, 2, 5, and 8 years, were included in the long-term study.

DMARDs are the most commonly used treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis but have been linked with pneumonia and other pulmonary infections.

A meta-analysis with data from more than 30 published articles provides an overview of associations between calprotectin levels and disease activity, treatment response, and inflammation among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

"Changes in the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) seem to be associated with changes in objectively assessed strength and physical function, suggesting HAQ captures the patient impact of sarcopenia-related disability,” investigators noted.

The association was generally consistent across the subgroups of age, sex, use of systemic corticosteroids, and comorbidity levels in the population-based cohort.

Recent phase 3 clinical trial data explains response patterns of rheumatoid arthritis patients to baracitinib.

A study of health care professionals' opinions of the ease of use and utility of the SmartClic/ClicWise autoinjector provides insight into the use of the device for patients with rheumatic conditions.

“Disease-related malnutrition is strongly associated with morbidity, disability, short- and long-term mortality, and impaired disease recovery," investigators explained.

P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) inhibitors have been a focal point for inflammatory diseases but the lack of efficacy in treating rheumatoid arthritis led to examination of the MK2 pathway.

New survey data from Europe show how factors of the pandemics impacted long-term rheumatoid arthritis management.

Factors including age and disease activity influenced the selection of JAK inhibitors over biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for RA patients beginning therapy.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 studies indicates a favorable effect of TNF inhibitors on surrogate markers for CVD risk.

“Despite the multiple benefits offered by physical activity (PA), the proportion of older adults meeting PA guidelines is between 27% to 44%," investigators explained.

When is the right time to taper glucocorticoids and what is the correct approach? Take this quiz to test your knowledge.

Studying quality care markers can help clinicians understand treatment variations and non-adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, which may improve outcomes and decrease financial burdens.

The etanercept biosimilar, YLB113 (Nepexto), maintained a favorable efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity profile through week 96.

In the post-hoc analysis, an association between cumulative local joint swelling and progression of radiographic damage in the same joint was observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Despite EULAR recommendations encouraging the tapering of glucocorticoids and the rapidly expanding treatment options for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, glucocorticoids are still commonly prescribed to reduce inflammation and manage disease activity.