Patients under the care of the U.S. Veterans Affairs who were older, non-white and had more comorbidities were less frequently given biologic initiation therapy to treat their rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a recent study. Researchers sought to identify predictors of greater use of biologic therapies, as well as factors associated with persistent use of…
New research has linked the risk of developing interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients with the promoter variant in MUC5B, which may also contribute to the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and an unsual interstitial pneumonia seen by high-resolution CT scan…
Low muscle density due to the accumulation of intramuscular fat has been observed in RA patients and is associated with higher disease activity. New research sought to understand the relationship between muscle density, physical function and strength independent of body composition, including such factors as total and visceral adiposity. The results: Compared with healthy controls, low muscle density in RA patients was associated with low muscle mass, excess adiposity and greater disability…
Researchers say a study of individual antibody response to citrullinated and non-citrullinated proteins in sputum samples further supports the importance of the lung in early development of rheumatoid arthritis-related autoimmunity. Investigation of the fundamental mechanism that leads to antibody responses in rheumatoid arthritis is key to uncovering ways to predict and prevent the development of…
Recent data showing sustained, long-term safety and efficacy of mavrilimumab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) confirm and build on prior evidence from phase 2 studies of the potential for this new agent for the treatment of RA. Mavrilimumab is a human monoclonal antibody that blocks a proinflammatory cytokine involved in RA pathogenesis—granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating…
“Don’t believe everything you think,” said Allan Lokos, the founder and guiding teacher of the Community Meditation Center located in New York City’s upper west side. These words may be especially important for those dealing with chronic pain, finds new multicenter research. The study, “Trajectories of Fear-Avoidance Beliefs on Physical Activity Over Two Years in…
Researchers working to decode the epigenetic landscape for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were surprised to discover a connection to Huntington’s disease, a finding that could pave the way to discoveries of new therapeutic targets. By developing new methods to integrate data from epigenetic technologies, scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), set out to…
SINGAPORE (Reuters)—Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki has opened up about her battle with rheumatoid arthritis, saying there have been days this year when she found it hard to get out of bed. The Dane, who claimed her maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne this year, crashed out of the WTA Finals in the group stage…
For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who respond to subcutaneous tocilizumab, discontinuing methotrexate may be an option and offer an alternative to patients who cannot tolerate or prefer not to take methotrexate. “This is one of the first studies showing that methotrexate may be discontinued in a cohort of patients with a biologic agent without…
A confluence of advances in knowledge and technology is closing in on the day when therapies for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be specifically targeted to the precise variant and stage of disease. “Precision medicine is in the future, and not the distant future but more in the immediate future,” says Harris R. Perlman,…