Rheumatoid Arthritis

A decade of research in rheumatology leads to exciting new therapeutic targets along the IL-17, IL-23 and IL-12 pathways.

A reliable new blood test can test for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) years in advance. With about 1.5 million Americans suffering from the debilitating condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), early detection is key.

A considerable number of patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis display periarticular monosodium urate deposits.

Proteomic technologies have ushered in a new era in biomarker discovery that may revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases.

"At the moment, just publishing the research and presenting it at meetings and writing guidelines doesn't seem to be enough," says Dr. Rachelle Buchbinder.

Hormone-related metabolic pathways in early rheumatoid arthritis may be at play, study shows.

Patients miss out when research in rheumatoid arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders stalls between laboratory and clinic.

Research into rare autoinflammatory diseases is driving a new understanding of autoimmune disorders and the inflammatory process in general.

Researchers recently published a study that examined patients' activity level and health-related quality of life after lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.

There may be a link between the inflammatory proteins that cause rheumatoid arthritis and the development of heart valve disease.

Three recent cases of fatal reactions to low­-dose oral methotrexate due to interactions and dosing errors highlight the need to improve safety.

Supposedly "unbeatable" eczema (atopic dermatitis) can be successfully treated using tofacitinib, suggest findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Researchers did not find any upregulation in the cytokine interleukin 17 A (IL-17A) in active patients with Behçet's disease.

Patient with autoimmune diseases, like psoriasis, and infected with herpes zoster – commonly known as shingles – have a 50% higher risk of suffering a stroke.

Women can reduce their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by eating a healthy diet, study presented at 2015 ACR/ARHP shows.

Achieving sustained remission in early rheumatoid arthritis is less likely for overweight and obese patients as compared to thinner counterparts.

IL-6 inhibitors sarilumab, an investigational drug, and tocilizumab, an established treatment in RA, are equally safe, shows two studies presented at ACR/ARHP 2015.

Organized collaborations and advances in technology have contributed to improved treatment of rheumatic diseases that affect children.

Researchers report that in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), greater positive mood throughout daily life was linked to less pain and fewer RA-related restrictions, while negative mood was linked to an increase in RA-related restrictions.

Certolizumab pegol with methotrexate leads to impressive outcomes for early rheumatoid arthritis patients, shows study presented at 2015 ACR/ARHP.

In a post-hoc analysis, researchers found that the clinical efficacy of tofacitinib after 6 months of treatment was greater than placebo, and appeared similar regardless of methotrexate dose.

Disability-accommodating workplace policies can help workers with arthritis stay in jobs longer and can lead to enhanced job performance.

Early diagnosis, treatment and cardiovascular screening and management has led to a decrease in cardiovascular-related mortality in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

“For years, people with rheumatoid arthritis experiencing fatigue have been told they should rest more. This research flies in the face of that advice. Resting more is probably the opposite of what they need to do.”

A review of six Phase 3 studies shows that tofacitinib is more effective for rheumatoid arthritis treatment than regimens including placebo and a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug or methotrexate as monotherapy or in combination therapy.

The treat-to-target approach for rheumatoid arthritis patients is common in current treatment plans in rheumatoid arthritis. Patients are meeting targets.

Patients with early RA see improvements in symptoms with baricitinib 4 mg monotherapy producing larger, rapid improvements with higher rates of clinical remission as compared to MTX monotherapy.

Sarilumab with csDMARDS are safe and effective in rheumatoid arthritis patients after TNF failure or intolerance.

In patients with active rheumatoid arthritis symtoms that persisted even though they were taking methotrexate, baricitinib (Lilly/Incyte) treatment led to "significant improvements" researchers reported at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who received sarilumab plus a DMARD who did not respond to anti-TNF medications showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful changes from baseline in fatigue, morning stiffness, pain, productivity, and participation at week 24.