Rheumatology

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending December 3, 2022.

Dall'Era notes that it is important for rheumatologists to understand that the current endpoints for SLE clinical trials, such as SRI-4 and BICLA, are complex and imperfect. 

The findings emphasize the severity of the potential methotrexate access problem.

Results indicated that the incidence of osteoporosis increased up to 4 times in younger male patients with gout when compared with those without gout.

Investigators strive to learn more about whether mTORC1 inhibitors are a feasible approach for treating patients with systemic JIA.

“There’s still a great need for additional treatment for this very dangerous condition,” Pui Lee, MD, PhD, emphasized.

Fibromyalgia commonly presents as widespread pain, physical, and cognitive symptoms. Unfortunately, it often manifests differently among patients and can be difficult to diagnose and treat.

Tarun Sharma, MD, a rheumatologist with the Allegheny Health Network who helped author the American College of Rheumatology's most recent gout guidelines, sits down to provide perspective on the latest updates in gout from 2022, including new trial data, regulatory news and updates, and a glimpse into what he is most excited for in 2023.

Identifying the current prevalence and effect of fatigue on patients with psoriatic arthritis may lead to new strategies designed to manage this commonly-reported symptom.

A systematic review and meta-analysis assessing more than a dozen double-blind, placebo-controlled trials evaluating cannabis-based products for pain relief suggest these studies were the recipient of a disproportionate level of media coverage that was not associated with the results of each study.

Holding methotrexate after the second COVID-19 vaccine dose is associated with similar immunogenicity and a lower risk of disease flare compared with withholding methotrexate after both vaccine doses.

Take a few minutes to catch up on the latest rheumatology news for the month of November 2022.

Results indicated that vaccine response with the standard regimen dramatically low; however, both novel strategies were able to significantly improve response.

“These are people with autoimmune conditions who are taking immunomodulatory drugs that affect their immune system,” Mudano emphasized. “It's been shown that they may have worse outcomes if they do get COVID. So, it's important that they know that they really need this vaccine.”

Although the ACR and EULAR have introduced guidelines for initial treatment of Takayasu Arteritis, Robert Maughan, PhD, explains that there is little to no data available to guide decisions.

Thanksgiving marks the start of darker days and colder temperatures and acts as a reminder to get those annual booster shots for influenza and COVID-19. Test your knowledge on booster shots for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

DISCOVER-2 is a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, multicenter study assessing the safety and efficacy of subcutaneous guselkumab treatment in biologic-naïve patients with active PsA.

“The data continue to validate our hypothesis that izokibep offers differentiated efficacy with high potency and small size and reinforces izokibep’s potential to manage the hard-to-treat manifestations of PsA."

As cannabis use continues to rise worldwide, investigators question its role in treating fibromyalgia, a common pain syndrome that affects women twice as much as men.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the American College of Rheumatology Convergence 2022.

Personalizing non-pharmacological treatment for patients with fibromyalgia using a targeted symptom approach may improve outcomes.

Nowell emphasized that simple changes, such as targeted walking goals and meditative breathing, are low energy and low cost, yet extremely effective.

“There's a real interest and need for wellness programs out there among people living with psoriatic arthritis. This is something that matters to them even more now living with a chronic disease.”

Deucravacitinib showed sustained efficacy in the various outcomes in psoriatic arthritis and a unique and consistent safety profile.

Taking an integrative approach to management by using a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes to treat the whole person can have benefits for many conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. How does this approach fit in with the management of rheumatoid arthritis? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

Deepak Bhatt, MD, MPH, discusses a posthoc analysis of the ORAL Surveillance trial examining drivers of increased cardiovascular risk observed in the phase 3b/4 trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The time of flare was significantly shorter in the placebo group compared to the baricitinib.

ASAS40 responses increased between week 16 and week 52 in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

A trial comparing a 1-week methotrexate hold following seasonal influenza vaccination against the standard 2-week hold among patients with rheumatoid arthritis using methotrexate suggests there were no significant differences in positive vaccine response with either approach.

In this Q&A, Fabian Proft, MD, discussed the findings of his study that evaluated the DAPSA using a quick quantitative C reactive protein assay (Q-DAPSA) in patients with psoriatic arthritis.