Rheumatology

Methotrexate dampens the immune response to vaccines, and a recent study showed that discontinuing treatment for 1 week instead of 2 worked just as well for patients with rheumatoid arthritis getting a flu shot.

Results indicate early initiation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in a veterans population was associated with a 17% increase in incident cardiovascular disease and a 22% increase in major events.

The observational study found that 25% of deaths were premature and that mortality associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) resulted from cardiovascular, cancer, and respiratory causes

The latest update says that Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors should only be used if risk factors for cardiovascular disease or cancer have been considered, and that biologics are preferred.

The program, serving patients from rheumatology, dermatology, gastroenterology, allergy, and cardiology clinics, is the first of its kind within the Veterans Health Administration, researchers said.

In a proof-of-concept analysis, researchers show that machine learning methods paired with longitudinal patient-reported outcomes (PRO) data were able to classify subsequent rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity after beginning treatment with a biologic

Risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) stem from disease-specific causes, disease treatment, and factors that face the general population, according to researchers, who highlighted the importance of assessing risk factors in these patients.

Though typically associated with effects on the joints, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was found have a pulmonary effect in nearly 3 in 4 patients included in the retrospective, single-center study.

The study, which assessed changes in circRNA and miRNA after beginning treatment with secukinumab, revealed a prompt change in circRNA abundance upon initiation of treatment and a strong correlation between circRNA and the psoriasis area and severity index.

Based on their findings, the researchers are emphasizing the importance of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving a booster vaccination, as well as other mitigation strategies, such as social distancing and wearing face masks.

However, patient-reported scores were not significantly better in the tocilizumab group.

At 12 weeks, nearly 8 in 10 patients had significant improvement.

The findings, produced over a 4-year period, indicate the protein sulfatase-2 (Sulf-2) may be a therapeutic target in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The study analyzed 20 clinical prediction models (CPMs) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), all of which were deemed to have a high risk of bias, leading the researchers to urge against their use to guide decision-making without addressing their limitations.

Data from a literature review of 41 studies were analyzed and subsequently leveraged to create a survey among physicians on the use of 4 targeted therapies in systemic sclerosis-interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

This analysis of 5 studies found that, compared with placebo, all biologic regimens improved Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 response—considered a gold standard goal due to its correlation with quality of life.

Machine learning models collected using a crowdsourcing approach that provide feasible, quick, and accurate methods to quantify joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could potentially be incorporated into electronic health records.

About 1 in 7 people with systematic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) will not respond to interleukin-1 or interleukin-6 inhibitors.

Investigators conducted a review of 21 studies on the effects of a gum disease treatment on various rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity measures.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) disease flare was significantly longer in children with enthesitis-related arthritis and juvenile psoriatic arthritis treated with secukinumab compared with placebo.

While past research suggests patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for dementia, a Mayo Clinic study claims this is not the case.

The new report reverses previous research suggesting that White men who consumed large amounts of gamey meat and rich foods were most at risk.

The summary includes expanded indications for certain vaccines, approaches for live-attenuated vaccines, and medication management around the time of vaccination for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

According to the review, the most important novel developments were related to the repositioning of old drugs in the context of treat-to-target (T2T) therapy and new long-term safety information on Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors.

Patients with gout who experienced a heart attack or stroke were twice as likely to have experienced a gout flare within the past 60 days compared with patients with gout who did not experience either event.

Interviews conducted with patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) revealed 6 important aspects of daily life that are rarely measured in RA research.

While a 1-year course of methotrexate improved physical function, pain, morning joint stiffness, and joint inflammation, it did not prevent the development of clinical arthritis.

A systemic review found that patients with rheumatic diseases experienced comparable outcomes and satisfaction from telemedicine compared with in-person treatment.

A review found rheumatic conditions cause 22.2% of global cases of fever and inflammation of unknown origin.

None of the adolescent and young adult (AYA) participants in a study reported experiencing the Six Core Elements of Healthcare Transition during their rheumatology health care transition.