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Despite gout being largely associated with White men, new data suggest gout and hyperuricemia impart a larger burden on other demographic groups, including Black men, Black women, and White women.

Serum calprotectin level may be a useful biomarker associated with a high inflammatory burden and the presence of carotid plaque.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending August 13, 2022.

Immunosuppressive medication can interfere with the immune response to vaccines, so treatment may need to be held or the timing or type of vaccinations amended. Test your knowledge of vaccinating rheumatoid arthritis patients taking immunosuppressive therapies in this quiz.

"An unmet need is a biomarker that distinguishes active lupus nephritis, particularly important in pediatrics where minimizing invasive procedures is desirable.”

"COVID-19 vaccines are effective against severity of SARS-COV-2 infection, but there has been a concern regarding their effect on the risk of flares in patients with gout, which are associated with health-related quality of life, healthcare resource utilization, and work productivity."

Patients with psoriatic arthritis receiving risankizumab reported improved joint and skin symptoms when compared with placebo.

Exercise and behavioral techniques can be helpful, but they are not often implemented because their effectiveness is unknown and regular face-to-face sessions are undesirable.

With seasonal flu vaccinations fast approaching, how much do you know about how rheumatoid arthritis and its treatment affects administration of this vaccine? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

Results from a small study suggest that psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis osteoclasts might retain some of their immune cell functions during differentiation.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending August 6, 2022.

Rates of serious and non-serious infection events were higher in patients receiving tofacitinib, 5 mg 2 times daily and 10 mg 2 times daily, when compared with TNFis.

Despite previous evidence showing the benefits of vitamin D supplementation in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain, controversy still exists over the role of 25OHD in the treatment of these diseases.

The American College of Rheumatology announced updated vaccination guidance for patients with rheumatic diseases, including expanding indications for certain vaccines for those receiving immunosuppressive medications, medication management, and vaccination delay.

Whether it is leaning on the support of colleagues, mindfulness meditation, or jujitsu, rheumatologists weigh on how they personally prevent and manage symptoms of burnout.

The new treatment guideline addressed the possibility of differing safety and effectiveness outcomes among patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease regarding vaccination compared with the general population.

“During the pandemic, it was an absolutely critical lifeline to stay connected with our patients. But now that now that elements of the pandemic have been routinized and normalized, the risk benefit ratio of a telemedicine versus an in person visit has changed.”

Assessing disease activity is an important part of a treat-to-target strategy. How much do you know about the different approaches? Take this quiz to find out.

Besides the obvious stressors regarding the uncertainty of COVID-19 and implementation of telemedicine, other issues include the rheumatologist shortage, referred to as the “great resignation."

Patients with pediatric psoriatic arthritis will now have access to the first-in-class treatment option, ustekinumab.

Vitamin D supplements are often recommended for the improvement of bone health, but investigators say the data are unclear whether they prevent fractures.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending July 30, 2022.

Although a third dose of mRNA vaccine significantly increased antireceptor-binding domain (RBD) titer in a previous study, clinical factors associated with the immunogenicity in immunosuppressed populations have not been adequately studied.

Patients with high preoperative sleep quality, high preoperative albumin level, free of digestive disease and undergoing total hip arthroplasty procedure are more likely to be discharged within 2 days as opposed to 3.

The top 5 themes identified surrounded fear as the dominant emotion, social connections and work, physical health, self-identity, and self-management as a way of coping.

Despite advancements over the years, cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) continues to represent a high unmet medical need with no cure.

An ancillary study of the landmark VITAL trial provides clinicians with evidence related to the lack of reduction in fracture risk observed with vitamin D3 supplementation in older adults.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who have elevated interleukin-23 (IL-23) levels have been linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and disease activity.

The US FDA has approved belimumab for the treatment of active lupus nephritis in children aged 5 to 17 who are currently receiving standard therapy.

“The psychosocial burden of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has been shown to have a negative effect on the quality of life of the patients. In PsA, psychological disorders can both cause and exacerbate disease development.”