Limited data are available on liver enzyme elevation in patients with RA, PsA and psoriasis being treated with tofacitinib and methotrexate. But early study findings are shedding light on the nature and risks of liver enzyme levels in these patients…
New research from the CDC shows that approximately one-third of U.S. adults with prediabetes also have arthritis, which can prevent physical activity in these patients, thereby, making it more likely they will develop type 2 diabetes…
An analysis of treat-to-target therapy assessing two ultrasound definitions of remission for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has concluded that using ultrasound remission as a target was not associated with better long-term outcomes for RA patients.1 Compared with MRI, ultrasound costs less, is more accessible and offers the ability to scan more joints in…
CHICAGO—Rheumatology physicians and researchers from Africa said the field’s resources and medical literature on the continent are slowly expanding, but they repeatedly lamented that the millions who suffer from rheumatic diseases there have major obstacles to overcome to access care. Their reviews and assessments—sometimes grim and sometimes hopeful—came in a session that was a joint…
CHICAGO—Bimekizumab is an investigational interleukin (IL) 17A and IL-17 neutralizing agent being studied to modulate inflammation in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. During the late-breaking abstract session at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, researchers reported on the results of a 48-week, Phase 2b, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of bimekizumab in patients with active psoriatic…
Genes may predispose people to have certain microbial signatures in their gut that, in turn, make them susceptible to developing reactive arthritis. This is the main finding of a recent study in which researchers investigated whether perturbations in the intestinal microbiome play a role in susceptibility to reactive arthritis in the face of triggers, such…
ACR guidelines include recommendations for the management of patients with particular conditions or diseases. Guidelines are developed using a systematic process and are based on available evidence and the clinical experience and expertise of rheumatologists and other interested stakeholders. In the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology, Arthritis Care & Research and the Journal of…
Varicella-zoster-virus (VZV) reactivation, which can cause patients to develop herpes zoster (i.e., shingles), occurs more frequently in patients with systemic vasculitis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who have received intravenous cyclophosphamide than in otherwise healthy adults, according to a retrospective study published in The Journal of Rheumatology by researchers in France.1 The study also shows…
LONDON (Reuters)—Scientists exploring what may trigger chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have found clues in the way some people’s immune systems respond to interferon alpha.1 The researchers used the drug to create a model of the disease in people without CFS but with hepatitis C. Many patients who receive interferon alpha experience extreme fatigue during treatment,…
A 39-year-old woman presented at the emergency department with three weeks of progressive, constant and pulsatile right-sided headache. She said her headache was worse in the morning and when she would bend forward. She reported associated nausea and vomiting. On initial assessment, she did not have any focal neurological deficits. Her medical history was significant for…