A recent study indicates that depression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis is a result of both contextual and disease-related factors. Researchers found a patient’s mastery—the perception they have control over things in their lives—plays a key role in the development of depression in this patient population…
ATLANTA—One of the hottest topics in medicine is the emerging field of cancer immunotherapy. However, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are associated with the therapy, and when things go wrong, they can go very, very wrong, said Ryan Sullivan, MD, during the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting in November. “The guiding principle of cancer immunotherapy is [that]…
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease. Although RA develops its central pathology within the synovium of diarthrodial joints, many non-articular organs can be involved, particularly in patients with severe joint disease.1 Although most patients are asymptomatic, cardiac involvement is relatively common and includes rheumatic heart nodules, pericarditis (30–50%), pericardial effusion and…
Two JAK inhibitors, one recently approved by the FDA, have shown improvements in patients with active RA for whom other therapies have proved ineffective…
In Europe, researchers are evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of ABX464 in rheumatoid arthritis patients…
Pain can deter patients with rheumatic disease from engaging in physical activity. But the latest research shows exercise helps reduce pain, & other influences may also affect patients’ activity levels, particularly after surgery…
A 2019 update of the ACR’s previous clinical practice guideline on axial spondyloarthritis is now available online. Lead investigator Michael Ward, MD, shares advice for implementing the guideline updates, including those related to sequencing and tapering biologics, and knowing when to obtain images.
A 52-year-old man living in greater Boston with a history of hypertension presented at our rheumatology clinic with bilateral knee pain and swelling. He had been in his usual state of health until four months earlier when he developed right knee pain and swelling without an incipient trauma, which did not improve with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory…
The phase 3, RA-BEAM study found RA patients who were switched from adalimumab to baricitinib experienced improvements in disease control even in the absence of an adalimumab washout. In the study, the change was not associated with an increase in adverse events or infections…
A study comparing seven biologic DMARDs in RA patients aged 65 years and older found abatacept had the highest retention rate and the lowest discontinuation rate…