News

 Tofacitinib Demonstrates Sustained Improvement in RA

In an article published in a recent edition of Arthritis Research & Therapy, Jurgen Wollenhaupt and colleagues from multiple international centers have discovered that tofacitinib 5mg and 10mg twice a day remained effective and safe even after 8 and 9.5 years respectively.

Arthritis Manifestations Differ in RA and OA Patients

Anne-Mari Mustonen and colleagues in Finland have determined the respective fatty acid (FA) signatures found in the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While the authors’ findings are inconclusive, they give insight into the complex alterations in fatty acid profiles found in knee arthropathies. They present their findings in a recent Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Highlights from LUPUS 2019

New results for baricitinib and ustekinumab use in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were presented in April at the International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (LUPUS 2019), which was held in San Francisco. Here, we summarize those results, plus much more from the meeting.

Q&A:  Dr. Jim Oates on Hard-to-Treat Lupus in Black Patients

The prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is higher among black patients. They can present with a worsened disease state and mortality rates can be higher. This suggests a need for better therapeutic options, says Jim C. Oates, M.D., of Medical University of South Carolina. In this Q&A, Dr. Oates addresses treatment challenges black patients face.

Rheumatology Image IQ clinical quiz

A 28-year-old woman visited urgent care complaining of an erythematous rash. She also had a sore throat, spiking fever and arthralgias. What's your diagnosis?

MRI-guided treat-to-target treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

MRI-guided treat-to-target treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis is no better than conventional treat-to-target strategies, researchers reported in JAMA in February. However, in a new commentary posted this month in JAMA, researchers raise some interesting points experts may want to reconsider.

Do you know your NSAID toxicity risk?

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are associated with a number of risk factors that can heighten a patient’s risk of major toxicity. Researchers reporting in Arthritis and Rheumatology have come up with a scoring system to measure a patient’s risk of developing major toxicity from NSAID use.

Fracture Risk is High in Lupus

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at an increased risk for fractures, new research shows. The risk is particularly high among patients with lupus nephritis.

Clifford Rosen, M.D.

It’s not just weight that could be contributing to degenerative changes in obesity-related osteoarthritis. In this Q&A, Dr. Clifford J. Rosen, director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Portland, discusses the mechanisms of osteoarthritis.

The overall risk of cancer in PsA not linked to TNF inhibitor treatment.

The overall risk of cancer in psoriatic arthritis patients who are treated with TNF inhibitors  doesn’t appear to be linked to their treatment, according to a study presented EULAR this weekend.