Rheumatology

On this month's episode of Overdrive, Roy Fleischmann, MD, discusses the recent Pfizer press release regarding the safety of JAK inhibitors and his personal opinions on prescribing JAK inhibiting drugs to his patients.

Researchers call for greater research on the relationship between PTSD and autoimmune diseases in Medicaid patients after finding a troubling association.

In this Q&A, corresponding author Josef S Smolen, MD, discussed the findings of his study determining the effectiveness of ustekinumab versus tumor necrosis factor inhibition in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of anifrolumab-fnia (Saphnelo™) for the treatment of moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus.

Conversations assessing and responding to suicide risk with your patients destigmatizes suicide and mental illness while strengthening your skills as a provider.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending July 30, 2021.

After controlling for variables, eldery-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) was not indicative of changes in Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) scores over time when compared with a non-EORA cohort. Further, there were no significant differences in the efficacy and safety of receiving biologic/targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs).

“Our study confirms challenges in selecting an appropriate outcome in interventional studies targeting medication adherence and the ways in which the lack of guidance in this area hinders research and limits our ability to compare interventions and draw conclusions about their effectiveness,” stated investigators.

Common immunosuppressant therapies for patients with rheumatic disease, such as methotrexate and targeted biologics, increase risk of serious infection, especially with respiratory pathogens. A recent study investigates the connection between these drugs and functional humoral immunity to the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech).

A recent statement by Regeneron noted that chronic spontaneous urticaria is the fifth disease associated with positive Phase 3 results involving the monoclonal antibody.

Many children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis stop vaccinating when diagnosis is established, despite them being at a greater risk of infections than healthy children due to their aberrant immunity and the use of immunosuppressive drugs.

While prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is advocated by recent recommendations, ASCVD prevention in patients with RA was underwhelming, according to an international audit.

Roy Fleischmann, MD, discusses the recent Pfizer press release touching upon the safety of JAK inhibitors. He explains the recent scrutiny of JAKs, the concerns some rheumatologists have in regard to JAK inhibitors, and his personal opinions on prescribing JAK inhibiting drugs to his patients.

Investigators from Turkey show how static foot posture in patients with rheumatic diseases can lead to impairment of physical function due enthesitis.

Guselkumab, an interleukin-23p19-subunit inhibitor, led to clinically significant and sustained improvements in fatigue through 1 year in patients with active psoriatic arthritis.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus presented more cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, along with impaired health-related quality of life and parasympathetic function, when compared with a control cohort.

The newest FDA indication allows for greater distribution to younger but equally vulnerable immunocompromised patients.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending July 23, 2021.

Catch up on Rheumatology Network's most recent highlights in psoriatic arthritis news.

Researchers from Texas determined the global prevalence of OSA using 8 unique studies involving patients with rheumatoid arthritis from around the world.

The painTRAINER program included 8 weekly modules, in addition to coping skill activities, in which investigators measured outcomes including the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, pain interference, physical function, anxiety and depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.

Researchers from France challenge previous reports of the IL-17 inhibitor treatment resulting in an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease in patients with immune disorders like psoriasis.

Treat-to-target remains a key strategy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. However, some changes to the recommendations were made in the 2021 American College of Rheumatology Guidelines on the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Check your knowledge on how to approach a treat-to-target strategy with this quiz.

Investigators analyzed the effect of biologic therapies in order to determine the effectiveness of this first-line biologic approach in treating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and reducing the exposure of glucocorticoids, a driver of morbidity in this patient population.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis often feel limited in their knowledge on medications and treatments, which investigators said leads to a lack of treatment and increased risk of disability.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Rheumatology Network's highlights from the week ending July 16, 2021.

Glucocorticoid withdrawal over a prolonged period of time did not increase clinical flares or damage for patients with inactive systemic lupus erythematosus.

Given the low prevalence of anti-Sjögren's-syndrome-related antigen A (anti-SSA) and anti–Sjögren's-syndrome-related antigen B (anti-SSB) in women with rheumatoid arthritis who would like to conceive, intensive echocardiographic screening may not be necessary.

New findings show patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis share comorbidities that contribute to an increased likelihood of frailty, especially in older populations.

In this observational cross-sectional study, investigators created a survey designed to understand the management and follow-up of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin American countries.