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Patients with psoriatic arthritis often feel limited in their knowledge on medications and treatments, which investigators said leads to a lack of treatment and increased risk of disability.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending July 16, 2021.

Glucocorticoid withdrawal over a prolonged period of time did not increase clinical flares or damage for patients with inactive systemic lupus erythematosus.

Given the low prevalence of anti-Sjögren's-syndrome-related antigen A (anti-SSA) and anti–Sjögren's-syndrome-related antigen B (anti-SSB) in women with rheumatoid arthritis who would like to conceive, intensive echocardiographic screening may not be necessary.

New findings show patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis share comorbidities that contribute to an increased likelihood of frailty, especially in older populations.

In this observational cross-sectional study, investigators created a survey designed to understand the management and follow-up of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin American countries.

Research indicates that patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD) did not differ from the general population in terms of protective antibody responses against COVID-19.

Surprisingly, patients with rheumatoid arthritis and erectile dysfunction had a significantly decreased rate of myocardial infarction, heart failure, and death when compared with patients with rheumatoid arthritis alone.

“This analysis provides information on when clinically meaningful improvements in pain may be expected in patients with psoriatic arthritis receiving tofacitinib or adalimumab, and how baseline pain severity may impact response to tofacitinib, which is of value in clinical practice,” stated investigators.

In this Q&A, corresponding author, Fiona Watt, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, discusses her study that found the combination of effusion and hemarthrosis at the time of acute knee injury is associated with adverse outcomes at 2 years post-injury.

A higher proportion of patients with immune-mediated diseases experienced ≥1 thromboembolic events at baseline compared to those without an IMD.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending July 9, 2021.

Research reveals microtrauma and swelling in the joints surrounding the thumb, conditions that are predominantly features in patients with psoriatic arthritis than any other arthritic diseases.

Atul Deodhar, MD, MRCP, discusses his recent study investigating the efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in active ankylosing Spondylitis, including study design, results, and its clinical significance.

Irene Kazmers, MD, discusses the heavy administrative burden placed on all practicing physicians in the last decade and why she chose to begin concierge, or membership medicine, a practice model that has "proven to be a tremendous fit for my career at this point in time and made it possible for me to continue as a practicing rheumatologist."

Patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases had an increased risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and worse clinical outcomes of COVID-19, including death, although disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) did not increase the risk of these outcomes.

Claire Daien, MD, discusses the safety and efficacy of ABX464, the primary and secondary endpoints, and what differentiates the medication from other rheumatoid arthritis therapies.

Chronic pain and functional limitations, along with these academic and social difficulties, are directly related to mental health complaints. Therefore, adolescents with rheumatic diseases are at a higher risk for developing mental illness.

Methotrexate has been the mainstay treatment for mild to moderate arthritis for many years, and the recent update to the American College of Rheumatology Guidelines on the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis aims to maximize the use of methotrexate before advancing to a biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD). With this in mind, it is important to be up-to-speed on initiating methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Test your knowledge with this quiz.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending July 2, 2021.

The investigators linked immediate biological responses and symptomatic and structural outcomes to long-term injuries in active patients.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delayed its decision on upadacitinib (RINVOQ) for the for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis and adults with active ankylosing spondylitis.

Test your knowledge of the treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with our RA quizzes.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending June 25, 2021.

In patients with early inflammatory arthritis, a serum protein biomarker panel was proven effective in separating patients with psoriatic arthritis from those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers cite a lack of knowledge on the disease and treatments, which they believe affect the quality of life of patients.

An SMS-based, interactive, educational video greatly increased information related to COVID-19 vaccines, confidence in vaccine safety, and an inclination to receive the vaccine.

Investigators report on the implications of ethnicity and rheumatic diseases on South Korean patients with COVID-19.

The American College of Rheumatology has updated its treatment guidelines for the management of pediatric rheumatic disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guideline includes 33 final guidance recommendations, 8 of which received moderate-to-high task force consensus.

Upadacitinib (UPA) effectively treated patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial involvement, a group that is historically more likely to have higher disease burden and more quality-of-life impairments than patients without axial involvement.