Risk of Mortality from SLE By Ansaam Daoud, MD, Loai Dweik, MD, & Omer Pamuk, MD Why was this study done? Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with significant mortality, particularly affecting racial and ethnic minorities. This study aimed to assess national SLE mortality trends over the past two decades, stratified by…
Maternal Health Insights in Patients with SLE The impact of pregnancy readiness on lupus activity, maternal mental health & pregnancy outcomes By Ceshae Harding, MD, & Megan Clowse, MD, MPH Why was this study done? Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are pregnant have increased risks of risks maternal and fetal mortality, preeclampsia and…
Why was this study done? Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is the most common type of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in childhood, and most patients have a chronic disease course requiring prolonged administration of systemic glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents. The initial management for patients with moderately severe JDM is relatively standardized, typically including methotrexate and systemic glucocorticoids with…
In this study, researchers set out to determine the prevalence of baseline risk factors for cardiovascular outcomes and cancer among commercially insured patients with rheumatoid arthritis during their first dispensed treatment.
Lupus Fog? By Laura C. Plantinga, PhD, Patricia P. Katz, PhD, S. Sam Lim, MD, MPH, C. Barrett Bowling, MD, MSPH, & Jinoos Yazdany, MD, MPH Why was this study done? Perceived cognitive impairment (i.e., lupus fog) is common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, comprehensive, multidomain assessments of objective cognitive function are rarely performed….
Frailty & Prefrailty in Patients with RA TNF-α inhibitors associated with higher infection risk By Namrata Singh, MD, MSCI, Katherine D. Wysham, MD, James S. Andrews, MD, & Una E. Makris, MD Why was this study done? Frailty and prefrailty are more common and occur at a younger age in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)…
A Shift in Prescribing Patterns Safety issues prompt discontinuation of tofacitinib By Stephanie Song, MD, & Joshua F. Baker, MD, MSCE Why was this study done? The ORAL Surveillance study highlighted risks of cardiac events, thromboembolism (VTE) and malignancy associated with use of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi). We sought to determine the impact of safety…
Fractures in Patients with SSc By Zsuzsanna McMahan, MD, MHS Why was this study done? To minimize disability due to systemic sclerosis (SSc), it’s important to prevent and manage complications. Many SSc complications and related medications may increase the risk for osteoporosis and fracture. We sought to identify modifiable risk factors for fracture in patients…
Racial Disparities in Lupus Clinical Trial Participation By Saira Z. Sheikh, MD Why was this study done? Lupus disproportionately affects Black and Latino populations, particularly women in childbearing years. Clinical trials of patients with lupus can advance the development of therapeutics and access to better treatments, as well as improve health outcomes for patients. However,…
Treat to Target in Gout Monitoring & achievement of target serum urate levels By Jing Li & Gabriela Schmajuk, MD, MS Why was this study done? The ACR’s 2020 guideline for the management of gout recommends using a treat-to-target (T2T) approach to lower serum urate (SU). Using the ACR’s RISE registry, we examined the use…