NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Results of a randomized controlled trial do not support routine use of proactive therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) during infliximab induction for improving disease remission rates in patients rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring tailors biologic therapy to individual patients by measuring serum drug levels and…
Articles by Natasha Yetman
Combined Conservative Treatments Improve Function in Thumb-Base Osteoarthritis
(Reuters Health)—People with thumb-base osteoarthritis (OA) who receive a combination of conservative treatments, including education in self-management, ergonomics and hand exercises, may experience clinically meaningful improvements in hand function, a study suggests. Researchers randomized 204 people with thumb-base OA (1:1) to receive education on self-management and ergonomics alone (comparator) or in combination with a base-of-thumb…
Total Knee Replacement Cost-Effective, Even with Obesity & Comorbidities
(Reuters Health)—Total knee replacement surgery can be a cost-effective procedure for patients with severe obesity and osteoarthritis (OA), even when they also have comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. Researchers did a cost-benefit analysis for two patient populations (over 65 years, and age 50 to 65) who had…
COVID-19 Vaccination Strategies Suggested for Patients on Anti-Rheumatic Immunosuppressive Therapy
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—U.K. experts propose evidence-based management strategies for rheumatology patients on immunosuppressive therapy, including delaying/postponing rituximab, as appropriate. “The aim of this viewpoint article is to outline the existing data on the effect of anti-rheumatic therapy on vaccine responses in patients with inflammatory arthritis and to formulate a possible pragmatic strategy for the…
Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation Tolerated, Effective for Rheumatoid Arthritis
(Reuters Health)—Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation is safe and effective as an intervention for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a small proof-of-concept study suggests. The study enrolled 35 patients with active RA and an inadequate response to therapy with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). All DMARDS were discontinued four weeks prior to the trial. For the study, all participants…
German Society Updates Rheumatic Diseases Guidelines in Light of COVID-19 Pandemic
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The German Society for Rheumatology (DGRh) has updated its guidelines to reflect the recent impact of the pandemic, noting among its key changes that immunosuppressive medications should not be changed solely for fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection.1 The update is based on evidence from scientific data from registries, cross-sectional studies, case reports and…
Micromotors Promising for Rheumatoid Arthritis Therapy
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Magnesium-based micromotors showed promise as a delivery system for hydrogen therapy to inflamed joints in an experimental model of rheumatoid arthritis, researchers say. Hydrogen gas has been shown to neutralize overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can degrade cartilage and bone and activate inflammatory cytokines, according to Dr. Yingfeng Tu of…
Denosumab Has Edge on Alendronate for Steroid-Induced Bone Loss
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Long-term glucocorticoid users see greater gains in spine bone-mineral density when treated with the monoclonal antibody denosumab vs. oral alendronate, a small clinical trial shows. The drug also proved superior at lowering bone-turnover markers at 12 months, researchers in Hong Kong report in Bone.1 “Denosumab may be considered as an alternative first-line…
CDC Says Fully Vaccinated People Can Gather Unmasked with Others Indoors
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Individuals fully inoculated against COVID-19 can meet in small groups with other vaccinated people without wearing masks, but should keep wearing them outside the home, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on March 8. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said during a briefing that the agency’s new guidance…
Modern Treatment Tied to Low Disease Activity in Pregnant RA Patients
(Reuters Health)—Many pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may achieve low disease activity in the third trimester with a modern treatment regimen that includes anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) medications, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined data on 309 patients with RA who were pregnant or trying to conceive and who were treated with modern treat-to-target…
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