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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Immunosuppressive Medicines Do Not Worsen COVID-19 Outcomes

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—Medications that suppress the immune system—necessary for many chronic diseases—do not worsen outcomes of COVID-19 cases, new data suggest. Researchers looked back at 2,121 adults hospitalized for COVID-19 between March and August, including 108 who were taking immunosuppressive drugs (primarily prednisone, tacrolimus or mycophenolate mofetil). After accounting for patients’ general baseline health status, researchers found…

The Effects of IL-17A Inhibitors on the Microbiota

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The use of an interleukin (IL) 17A inhibitor resulted in gut microbial dysbiosis and features of subclinical intestinal inflammation in a subgroup of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients, according to a multidisciplinary, collaborative study across several institutions published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.1 Understanding the downstream effects of these perturbations is an important step…

Rheum After 5: Dr. Angus Worthing, the Singing Rheumatologist

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Every Christmas Eve, Angus Worthing, MD, FACP, FACR, his wife, Margaret, and two young children, engage in a sing-off over the phone, competing against a professional quartet comprising his best friend, Doug, Doug’s sister and their parents. Dr. Worthing, a partner at Arthritis & Rheumatism Associates in Washington, D.C., demonstrated his musical talent as a…

Reporting & Other Tips for the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund

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Between April and December 2020, many eligible healthcare providers received or applied for payments from the $175 billion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). On Dec.27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Appropriations Act) was signed into law,…

The ACR’s 2020 Advocacy Year in Review

Blair Solow, MD, & Zachary Wallace, MD, MSc  |  

To say it has been an interesting (the science and the memes), tumultuous (the politics) and heartbreaking (the pandemic and social injustice) year is an understatement. There have been moments of grace and inspiration that we hope have kept everyone going.  As we look to 2021, we take lessons from our experiences in 2020. Washington,…

Study Finds NSAIDs Raise Heart Disease Risk in Osteoarthritis Patients

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In a controlled, large-cohort, longi­tudinal study from Canada, Atiquazzaman et al. found that use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) substantially contributes to increased cardiovascular disease risk among people with osteoarthritis (OA).1  This is the first study to evaluate the mediating role that NSAIDs play in the association between OA and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and the…

Case Report: Drug-Induced Lupus & ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Overlap

Mohammad A. Ursani, MD, RhMSUS, Ojas Naik, MD, Rohaan Khan & William F. Glass II, MD, PhD  |  

Drug-induced lupus erythe­matosus and ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are both autoimmune conditions associated with the use of hydralazine, a commonly prescribed drug for hypertension and congestive heart failure. Although the pathogenesis is unknown, it is believed that hydralazine alters neutrophil and lymphocyte function and promotes exposure of antigens, leading to the development of anti-neutrophil antibodies (ANCA)…

Study Finds Renal Arteriosclerosis Is Common in Lupus Nephritis Patients

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Renal arteriosclerosis is common in lupus patients with nephritis and occurs two decades earlier than it does in people without lupus nephritis (LN), report investigators in a study that examined the prevalence of renal arteriosclerosis in LN patients compared with healthy controls.1  The finding suggests that renal arteriosclerosis could be used as a biomarker for…

Case Report: Hydralazine-Induced ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

William J. Scheuing, MD, Nitasha Kumar, MD, William Davis, MD, & Robert Quinet, MD  |  

Hydralazine has been in use as a treatment for hypertension, most notably in heart failure patients, since 1951.1 The drug is a known cause of autoimmune disease, most specifically hydralazine-induced lupus.  Hydralazine-induced lupus occurs in 7–13% of those taking the medication.2-4 It often presents with constitutional symptoms, arthritis/arthralgias, cutaneous lesions, sero­sitis, myalgias and/or hepatomegaly. Features…