Ingrid Torjesen

Weight fluctuation in rheumatoid arthritis patients appears to be associated with higher cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, especially if they are not overweight, shows a new study.

Patients with rheumatic disease are encouraged to participate in regular exercise to reduce the impact of symptoms, such as osteoporosis, and also to protect against the development of other chronic conditions, in particular cardiovascular disease. But which specific symptoms can be improved, and what type of exercise is recommended and how much? Test your knowledge in this quiz.

In order to achieve the best clinical outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis, experts suggest an early diagnosis is essential. Early and prompt treatment is recommended to reduce the risk of permanent joint damage. In this quiz, we test your knowledge about an early rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.

Numbers of a new type of cell discovered in the blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients increase dramatically immediately before a flare.

The underlying pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis with and without autoantibodies may be different. Researchers say that "it is time to formally subdivide RA into type 1 (with autoantibodies) and type 2 (without autoantibodies)."

Patients taking nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates have a lower risk of developing and dying from pneumonia after hip fracture compared with patients taking other types of medication for osteoporosis or no drugs for osteoporosis at all, a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has found.

Delays to denosumab injections increase the risk of vertebral fractures, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has shown, highlighting the importance of trying to ensure that, while covid-19 is disrupting many medical services, the pandemic does not impact on the timing of denosumab injections.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are frequently encouraged to look at their lifestyle and make changes, such as exercising more frequently, following a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight. But what does a balanced diet actually mean? Test your knowledge of the impact of diet on rheumatoid arthritis with our diet quiz to be assured you know the answers to questions patients might ask.

Patients attempting to lose weight through dietary changes should be advised of the importance of maintaining their existing muscle mass and strength through exercise, so as not to increase their risk of fractures, Canadian researchers say.

Postmenopausal women may not need a repeat bone mineral density test after three years to determine risk of osteoporotic fracture, a study finds.

Combining methotrexate with TNF inhibitors may only be worthwhile for rheumatoid arthritis patients who are seropositive, the results of a small study suggest.

Continuous low-dose glucocorticoid regimens are better than tapering for controlling disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis over a six-month period, show the results of the first double blind clinical trial to evaluate an oral glucocorticoid dose-tapering regimen with stable biological background therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.

Persistence and adherence to parenteral osteoporosis therapies are suboptimal and worsen with time, a study finds.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk for osteoporosis. This heightened risk of osteoporosis can be due to a combination of factors: inactivity due to the pain and loss of joint function associated with the disease, a direct the rheumatoid arthritis disease process, and their treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. In this quiz, test your knowledge on the risk of osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis and how it should be treated.

Raloxifene is as effective as alendronate at preventing osteoporotic hip fractures in women, shows a new study.

In an interview with Rheumatology Network, Dr. Beate Wieseler compares the effectiveness of biologic drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis after methotrexate fails.

The prior use of methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis patients doesn't seem to be associated with an increased risk of developing fibrotic interstitial lung disease, a common and potentially deadly complication of RA.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death. How much do you know about cardiovascular risk related to rheumatoid arthritis and its treatment?

A treat-to-target strategy is recommended over a non-targeted approach for managing rheumatoid arthritis patients, regardless of the level of disease activity. But what should the target be and how should progress be monitored? Test your knowledge in this quiz.

Methotrexate is considered first-line therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, but if this fails to control symptoms, it is time to consider a second-line therapy. TNF inhibitors and IL inhibitors are options, but which to choose? Learn more in this quiz.

Patients with suspected osteoporotic fractures and normal DXA rarely have normal bone, shows a new study.

Inhaled corticosteroids for asthma or COPD do not increase the risk of major osteoporotic fractures in older women, new study shows.

Patients with rheumatic disease are at higher risk for skin cancer, gastrointestinal infectious, pulmonary disease, and hematologic conditions. A new study finds that taking low-dose methotrexate may lower the risk of developing these conditions.

Rheumatoid arthritis is not associated with an increased risk of death in patients hospitalized for pneumonia, unless it is uncontrolled, shows a new study.

Rheumatoid arthritis is not a life threatening condition per se, but it can have a dramatic impact on life expectancy. As a chronic systemic inflammatory condition, rheumatoid arthritis increases the risk of a number of other leading causes of death. Are you familiar with mortality risk in RA? Take this quiz.

A wide range of techniques are used in research to assess bone density and quality, but dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is likely to remain the standard procedure used in clinical practice for the foreseeable future for most patients, predicts the co-author of a recent review of imaging-based techniques for assessing bone in rheumatology.

Researchers report that methotrexate with a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor may be best for biologic naive rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Rheumatologists should feel more confident in recommending vaccination against herpes zoster to patients with rheumatoid arthritis after a study suggested that the recently approved recombinant adjuvanted vaccine was well tolerated in this group of patients.

COVID-19 is delaying and disrupting the treatment of many patients with osteoporosis, so the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) set up a steering committee of bone specialists to consider how best to manage these patients.

Glucocorticoids are the most frequently used class of drugs for rheumatoid arthritis because they are effective at relieving symptoms, and widely available at low cost. While this drug class has clear benefits for rheumatoid arthritis, it comes at a price in terms of a wide array of potential side-effects. Test your knowledge on the use of corticosteroids in rheumatoid arthritis with this quiz.