Katie Robinson

Low-dose IL-2 might be effective and tolerated in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), say researchers writing in Annals of the Rheumatic Disease this month.

Hydroxychloroquine retinopathy is more common than previously thought, shows a study published in Arthritis and Rheumatology.  Higher dosages and long duration of use is associated with a higher risk of vision loss.

IL-1 inhibition with anakinra was more effective than TNFi treatment for improving glycemic and inflammatory parameters in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and type 2 diabetes, say researchers writing in PLOS Medicine last month.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a large comorbidity burden at the time of diagnosis, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and interstitial lung disease, but COPD is a particular concern, say researchers writing in Rheumatology this month.

Exposure to antibiotics increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, say researchers writing in the journal Rheumatology this month.

Hot yoga improved ambulatory blood pressure and reduced mental stress, a correlate of hypertension, in adults with elevated blood pressure and stage I hypertension, according to a study presented at AHA’s Hypertension 2019 Scientific Sessions held in New Orleans last month.

Total hip arthroplasty does not provide a clinically significant improvement over hemiarthroplasty in function and quality of life over 24 months, shows a NEJM study. The incidence of secondary procedures did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Vedolizumab proves to be superior to adalimumab for in achieving clinical remission and endoscopic improvement for ulcerative colitis, but not corticosteroid-free clinical remission.

Ustekinumab (Stelara, Janssen Biotech) was more effective at one year than placebo for inducing and maintaining remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, NEJM study shows.

Ixekizumab was superior to adalimumab at 24 weeks in a head-to-head trial evaluating both skin and joint symptoms in patients with psoriatic arthritis and inadequate response to csDMARDs, say researchers writing in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases last month.

Social support may be a prognostic factor for some joint-specific and general health outcomes after hip or knee replacement, say researchers writing in The Lancet Rheumatology this month.

Sjögren’s syndrome secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) rises in frequency with age, affects around one-quarter of all people with systemic lupus, and, despite less internal organ involvement than in systemic lupus without Sjögren’s syndrome, is marked by a systemic inflammatory state with high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, say researchers writing in The Journal of Rheumatology  this month.

Parenteral methotrexate therapy is more successful than oral methotrexate in achieving optimal disease activity control in rheumatoid arthritis, with no increased adverse effects, say researchers writing in PLoS One this month.

Fluorescence optical imaging, which enables visualization of inflammation in the hands in rheumatic joint diseases, correlates with ultrasound as a validated and well-established imaging technique in daily rheumatological practice, say researchers writing in Arthritis Research & Therapy this month.

An international physician group writing in the British journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, has updated recommended parameters that constitute lesions in the sacroiliac joints of patients with spondyloarthritis. The definitions of capsulitis, enthesitis, fat lesion and erosion were revised and new definitions were developed for joint space enhancement, joint space fluid, fat metaplasia in an erosion cavity, ankylosis and bone bud.

Previously, smoking was the sole known modifiable predictor of spinal structural damage, but now alcohol consumption has been shown to be associated with the progression of spinal structural damage in axial spondyloarthritis―specifically by increasing the odds of syndesmophyte progression over two years. 

Local heat therapy applied overnight effectively lowers blood pressure in patients with both primary autonomic failure and nocturnal supine hypertension, according to a study presented at AHA’s Hypertension 2019 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.

The incidence of retinopathy among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patents treated with hydroxychloroquine increased with longer treatment duration, but could be predicted by monitoring blood levels of the drug, say researchers writing in Arthritis & Rheumatology this month.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved rituximab (Rituxan, Genentech) for the treatment of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) in children 2 years of age and older in combination with glucocorticoids.

Only 60 percent of patients with rheumatic disease are treated by a rheumatologist, 90 percent have health insurance, but 60 percent struggle to pay for healthcare expenses, survey shows.

Postmenopausal women with early rheumatoid arthritis have a metabolic syndrome profile similar to men and should equally be considered high risk for the development of cardiovascular disease, according to Bindee Kuriya M.D, writing in the journal ACR Open Rheumatology.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved nintedanib (Ofev, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals) capsules to slow the rate of decline in pulmonary function in adults with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD), which is a progressive lung disease that can be debilitating and life-threatening.

Levels of the biomarker urine C-telopeptide of cross-linked collagen type II (uCTX-II) are independently associated with radiographic severity and pain intensity in knee osteoarthritis, say researchers writing in Arthritis Research & Therapy this month.

Men with diabetes may have a higher risk of experiencing chronic lower back pain, say researchers writing in BMJ Open this month. 

The number of pregnant women who develop hypertension during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy has spiked in the U.S. since 1979, especially among black women, with advanced maternal age contributing to this upward trend, say researchers writing in Hypertension this month.

Men with diabetes may have a higher risk of experiencing chronic lower back pain, say researchers writing in BMJ Open this month.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use contributes substantially to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among patients with osteoarthritis, say researchers writing in Arthritis & Rheumatology last month.

A proof of concept clinical trial for riociguat (Adempas, Bayer) for patients with systemic sclerosis indicates that longer treatment periods may be necessary to heal digital ulcers. In this trial, the treatment wasn't effective in reducing the number of digital ulcers.

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate adherence is suboptimal and associated with certain demographics, medication experience, and beliefs about medicines, say researchers writing in ACR Open Rheumatology this month.

Normal thyroid stimulating hormone levels don't necessarily stave off all-cause mortality for hypothyroid patients, but adverse outcomes may intensify if levels fall below or above the norm.