News

An analysis of data from the Veterans Health Administration is providing insight into the apparent increase in risk of fracture or osteoporosis among older adults with kidney or ureteral stones.

Investigators believe inflammation, which is known to begin before rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms appear, may be a main factor in the increased prevalence and incidence in multimorbidity for patients with RA.

In the second portion of this series, Dr. Concoff discusses the path forward in the evaluation and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Trials testing hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19 have produced mixed results.

An analysis of more than 30k middle-aged adults from a prospective cohort study in Sweden is providing insight into the effects of exercise and other variables on fracture risk in these patients.

“We found that initiation of febuxostat administration during an acute gout flare did not prolong acute flares, and the rate of ‘treat to target’ was higher in the febuxostat group,” investigators concluded. “This may increase patient compliance.”

Some treatments for rheumatic diseases have shown promise for treating COVID-19, but many should be avoided in patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. How much do you know about the use of treatments for rheumatic diseases in patients with COVID-19? Take our quiz to find out.

Investigators explored the connection between patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and an increased risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which concurrently correlated with worse patient-reported outcomes (PROs) cross-sectionally.

Improvements for pain did not sustain at the 12 month follow-up.

Generally, guidelines recommend beginning psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis). However, not all patients respond to this method. Ixekizumab (IXE) improved the signs and symptoms of PsA in patients who had exhibited inadequate response to 1 or 2 TNFis.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending February 19, 2021.

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has published guidance regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination for patients with rheumatic diseases, with emphasis placed on prioritizing immunocompromised patients to receive the vaccine.

The drug is commonly used to treat diseases such as psoriatic arthritis, Behcet’s Syndrome, and plaque psoriasis.

Apremilast has been prescribed to more than 250,000 patients with plaque psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis since it was approved in 2014.

A survey of providers within the IOF and NOF provides insight into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis across multiple regions throughout the world.

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has recently issued conditional recommendations on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination for rheumatology patients with musculoskeletal, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. The recommendations are focused on the 2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States and are based on experience using immunomodulatory medications with other vaccines. The recommendations will be reviewed as additional COVID-19 vaccines are approved for use and more information on vaccine response specific to rheumatic disease patients emerges. Test your knowledge of the special considerations recommended for COVID-19 vaccination of patients with rheumatic diseases.

A study published in Osteoporosis International focused on the changes that have occurred over the course of the pandemic for patients with osteoporosis and found that there have been delays in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning, problems with medication supply, a decrease in face-to-face consultations, and reductions in parenteral medication delivery.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending February 12, 2021.

An international survey shows an increase in telemedicine, but a decrease in out-patient care.

Dr David R. Karp, president of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), outlines some of the legislative and regulatory developments of last year that had significant impacts on rheumatology practices and provides a policy outlook for the year ahead.

Investigators set out to explore sedentary behavior, physical and mental limitations, the willingness of this patient population to engage in more regular exercise, how perceptive they were to using technology to support a more active lifestyle, and interventions to reduce sedentary time.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are known to have a greater risk of serious infections related both to the disease itself and its treatment. What can be done to reduce that risk? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

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

In this 48-week, phase 3, randomized controlled trial, investigators examined patient-reported outcomes of patients with psoriatic arthritis receiving methotrexate monotherapy, etanercept monotherapy, or a combination of both drugs.

Tocilizumab is an interleukin 6 (an inflammatory cytokine) inhibitor approved for treating a variety of rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. As studies have shown that an increased level of interleukin 6 directly correlates to poor COVID-19 outcomes, investigators speculated that blocking this activity could be a helpful tool in treating the virus and lessening its severity.

Children who received methylprednisolone added to intravenous immunoglobulins experienced lower risk of treatment failure and use of second-line therapy

The primary objective of this retrospective study was to understand why Latino patients were being disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Of the patients observed, 32 (18%) developed COVID-19 during the study period, meaning incidence rates were 5- to 11-fold higher than the general population (1,540 to 3,431/100,000).

This week's rheumatoid arthritis quiz was developed by Fotios Koumpouras, MD, Director of Education and Training and Director of the Yale Lupus Program at Yale School of Medicine.

In a new study, investigators set out to discover whether the Janus kinase-1 inhibitor filgotinib is efficacious, either in combination with MTX or as monotherapy, in patients with RA who have had limited or no MTX exposure.

Investigators determined, “Treatment with TNF inhibitors is not associated with increased risks of solid cancer overall, or eight common cancer types. There were no indications of different crude incidence of solid cancers overall by TNF inhibitor agent.”