Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), like other inflammatory diseases, has been associated with increased incidence for and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD), the most common comorbidity leading to death in many conditions treated by rheumatologists. But beyond recognizing the burden of increased inflammation, the mechanisms behind this association are not well understood, says M. Elaine Husni, MD,…
A 36-year-old woman presented at the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center for a second opinion regarding a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). One year prior to our evaluation, she had developed pain and stiffness in her hands, feet, knees, ankles, elbows and shoulders. She had mild plaque psoriasis of the scalp and base of the neck,…
AMSTERDAM—Molecular signatures in synovial tissue that can be gathered through biopsies are a largely untapped resource that could help guide treatment for rheumatic conditions, an expert said at the EULAR: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology. “I’m convinced that looking into synovial tissue provides us with tools to not only understand mechanisms of disease in rheumatoid…
New research shows tanezumab may be safe and effective for patients with osteoarthritis pain…
In a long-term study, apremilast was well tolerated by patients with psoriatic arthritis, who showed sustained improvements for up to five years…
CHICAGO—As Eric Ruderman, MD, professor of medicine in rheumatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, began his talk on psoriatic arthritis treatment at the ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium in April, he marveled a bit at how much there was to cover. Drugs gaining prominence in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and dermatological…
Abatacept Approved for Adult PsA On June 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved abatacept (Orencia) to treat adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).1 Abatacept is available as both an intravenous formulation and a subcutaneous injection.2 The approval was based on results of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, PsA-I and PsA-II, during which…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The selective interleukin-17A inhibitor ixekizumab improved signs and symptoms of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients who had failed prior biologic therapy in the phase 3 SPIRIT-P2 trial. The SPIRIT-P2 trial joins the earlier phase 3 SPIRIT-P1 trial, which showed that ixekizumab was safe and effective in PsA patients not previously treated…
(Reuters Health)—Arthritis that accompanies the skin condition psoriasis may also come with a higher risk of heart problems, according to a Hong Kong study. In particular, patients with psoriatic arthritis may have a three- to four-fold higher prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis. Clinicians need to identify patients with high cardiovascular (CV) risk so they can provide…
A study showed that guselkumab may decrease symptoms of psoriatic arthritis and improve quality of life in adult patients…