Jared Kaltwasser

More than three-quarters of patients with rheumatic diseases quarantined and kept social distance during the pandemic, according to a new global survey.

Patients with nephrotic syndrome were far more likely than healthy controls to suffer end-stage kidney disease, particularly if they had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or membranous nephropathy.

Nearly 9 in 10 children given intravenous (IV) magnesium for refractory asthma ended up being admitted to the hospital, but new research suggests that may be partly due to a lack of clarity about the therapy’s safety profile.

An uptick in modeling and genomic data caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to important infection-prevention measures in health care settings.

A new prospective cohort study suggests joint pain, rather than skin pain or disease severity, correlates with greater use of analgesics.

The new report compared the benefits of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors with those of other glucose-lowering drugs and found lower rates of heart disease and mortality.

Although body weight affected pharmacokinetics, the investigators said dosing adjustments based on weight were not warranted.

A new report finds roughly three-quarters of patients with ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis used painkillers, although biologics appear to curb the need for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in particular.

A report reviews the case of a patient with stage IV melanoma who, while having several issues with treatment toxicity, was later free of disease following treatment with BRAF and MEK inhibitors.

When a New Zealand health care network switched to telehealth visits, its rheumatology patients had more health care interactions, but they had fewer changes in care and were less likely to be categorized as having active disease.

Data suggest asthma exacerbations dropped for children and adolescents during the pandemic, and most families chose to use telehealth services when available.

About 4 in 10 patients with chronic kidney disease will have “early rapid decline,” a trajectory more likely if the patient also has diabetes.

Clinicians should avoid prescribing acid-suppression medications in general, and especially proton-pump inhibitors, to patients with Clostridioides difficile infection, according to the study.

Viral infections can induce asthma exacerbations, but a report finds the inflammation itself can also have an impact on the infection.

Patients prescribed proton pump inhibitors had roughly double the risk of community-associated Clostridioides difficile infection compared with those not taking the drugs.

Patients who were tumor necrosis factor inhibitor naive generally had better responses to secukinumab compared with those who were inadequate responders—but both groups benefited

When particulate matter concentrations were high, patients were more likely to experience asthma exacerbations and likely were also more likely to have reactions to house dust mites.

Altered microbiota and inflammation associated with irritable bowel disease (IBD) appear to make it more difficult for patients to fight off Clostridioides difficile infection, according to a recent study.

The more often a patient used systemic corticosteroids, the higher their risk of moderate or severe COVID-19 and all-cause mortality, the study found.

No clinical or genetic markers were found to be predictive of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis, but one laboratory marker was identified.

Touching one’s face can heighten infection risk, but it may also help protect the body by fostering microbial diversity, according to a recent study.

Exome sequencing of patients with kidney disease and their families identified 17 different monogenetic causes of kidney disease.

The development of a successful gene therapy for RPE65-associated inherited retinal disease is a major breakthrough, but it also prompts difficult questions about which patients are good candidates for the therapy.

The new report may help explain why patients with psoriasis have a higher risk of cardiovascular problems.

New research based on real-world data largely aligns with the scientific literature, although one monoclonal antibody—dupilumab—stood out for its very low risk.

A new review shows secukinumab continued to have a strong safety profile after 6 years on the market.

Considerable evidence shows sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors have cardioprotective benefits, but new research elucidates the ways in which the drugs can also have positive renal impacts.

New data suggest a microbiota-based therapy can reduce C diff recurrence in patients where donor microbiota and patient microbiota successfully converge.

A new analysis may give clinicians a more in-depth understanding of an individual patient’s multiple sclerosis (MS) disease course.

A systematic review found significant evidence supporting self-management interventions for inflammatory arthritis, but also found it was difficult to draw conclusions about specific types of programs.