News

Romosozumab joins the growing list of monoclonal antibody drugs that treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

IL-1 inhibition with anakinra was more effective than TNFi treatment for improving glycemic and inflammatory parameters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and type 2 diabetes, say researchers writing in PLOS Medicine last month.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a large comorbidity burden at the time of diagnosis, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and interstitial lung disease, but COPD is a particular concern, say researchers writing in Rheumatology this month.

Exposure to antibiotics increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, say researchers writing in the journal Rheumatology this month.

A review in the journal Lupus examines treatments for primary and secondary thromboprophylaxis in patients with anti-phospholipid autoantibodies (aPL) and a history of thrombosis, which can affect more than 50 percent of people with systemic lupus erythematosus. 

In a review that examines the use of conventional and orphan autoantibodies as biomarkers for diagnosing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), researchers say the science is advancing rapidly with the goal of diagnosing lupus earlier than currently done.

Total hip arthroplasty does not provide a clinically significant improvement over hemiarthroplasty in function and quality of life over 24 months, shows a NEJM study. The incidence of secondary procedures did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Vedolizumab proves to be superior to adalimumab for in achieving clinical remission and endoscopic improvement for ulcerative colitis, but not corticosteroid-free clinical remission.

Ustekinumab (Stelara, Janssen Biotech) was more effective at one year than placebo for inducing and maintaining remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, NEJM study shows.

In a dose finding trial, 100 μg of sprifermin every 6 or 12 months is proven to boost femorotibial joint cartilage thickness in patients suffering from osteoarthritis.

The monoclonal antibody class of drugs could help osteoporosis patients prevent fractures.

Ixekizumab was superior to adalimumab at 24 weeks in a head-to-head trial evaluating both skin and joint symptoms in patients with psoriatic arthritis and inadequate response to csDMARDs, say researchers writing in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases last month.

The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research has developed clinical recommendations for the prevention of secondary fractures for patients aged 65 years and older after an initial hip or vertebral fracture. The recommendations were published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research last month.

Social support may be a prognostic factor for some joint-specific and general health outcomes after hip or knee replacement, say researchers writing in The Lancet Rheumatology this month.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be saddled with other health conditions ranging from mild allergies to cancer. Several studies have noted the increased incidence of mortality due to cardiovascular disease and infections. In this quiz, we focus on comorbidities associated with RA. 

A combination of medication, vitamin D, and calcium, as well as physical therapy is necessary to treat osteoporosis.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes saw greater improvement in blood glucose levels with sarilumab than adalimumab or placebo, shows a study spresented at Clinical Congress of Rheumatology West held in San Diego last month.

A clinical trial presented at the Clinical Congress of Rheumatology West in San Diego last month shows that the oral JAK inhibitor tofacitinib improved the signs, symptoms and quality of life for patients with psoriatic arthritis who have not had an adequate response to DMARDs or TNF inhibitors.

The oral therapy filgotinib could be a more effective treatment for patients with active ankylosing spondylitis who fail treatment with NSAIDs, according to the results of a study presented at the Clinical Congress of Rheumatology West in San Diego last month.

In a study presented at the Clinical Congress of Rheumatology West held in San Diego last month, researchers led by Brian LaMoreaux, M.D.,  report that gout was found to be a “a common comorbidity in renal transplant patients.”

Long-term remission in rheumatoid arthritis is rare, but achieving rheumatoid arthritis remission even once can improve function and quality of life, researchers report.

In the September issue of The Lancet Rheumatology, Drs. Janet Pope and Peter C. Taylor review three historical game changers in rheumatoid arthritis treatment. 

Sjögren’s syndrome secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) rises in frequency with age, affects around one-quarter of all people with systemic lupus, and, despite less internal organ involvement than in systemic lupus without Sjögren’s syndrome, is marked by a systemic inflammatory state with high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, say researchers writing in The Journal of Rheumatology  this month.

Parenteral methotrexate therapy is more successful than oral methotrexate in achieving optimal disease activity control in rheumatoid arthritis, with no increased adverse effects, say researchers writing in PLoS One this month.

How drug classes such as biologics have given dermatologists confidence in clearing patients' skin.

A 51-year-old woman visits her primary care doctor to address a rash, pruritus, myalgias and muscle weakness. The rash was an erythematous blanching patch spread across her chest in a V shape. She had also noticed that her fingernail folds were red and swollen. What's your diagnosis?

In a new randomized study, investigators compare 2 hip surgeries for elderly patients with a displaced femoral neck fracture.

Fluorescence optical imaging, which enables visualization of inflammation in the hands in rheumatic joint diseases, correlates with ultrasound as a validated and well-established imaging technique in daily rheumatological practice, say researchers writing in Arthritis Research & Therapy this month.

A study presented at CCR West found that tocilizumab displayed better biologic persistence compared with other biologics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who previously received 1 or more other biologics.

Novartis announced the ongoing Phase 3 PREVENT trial examining use of secukinumab in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis has met its primary endpoint of ASAS40.