Lower HCQ Serum Levels Associated with SLE Flare, Damage & Mortality Background & Objectives: Nguyen et al. set out to assess the consequences of severe non-adherence to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) by measuring hydroxychloroquine serum levels, risks of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares, damage and mortality over five years of follow-up. Methods: The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International…
At the 19th Annual Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of the Rheumatic Diseases course, Dr. Michelle Petri gave a presentation concerning the overall state of lupus treatment outcomes in the U.S.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is nearly universally recommended for pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to reduce lupus disease activity and adverse outcomes in pregnancy.1-3 Yet despite strong evidence supporting its benefits, HCQ appears underutilized, with several studies suggesting fewer than half of all women with lupus take this medication during pregnancy.4 How accurately these results…
During a busy start to 2023, the ISC has been advocating with payers to address multiple coverage and reimbursement challenges facing rheumatology practices, including Cigna’s modifier 25 requirements, hydroxychloroquine access and coverage for apremilast combination therapy.
Glucocorticoids remain a prominent part of care for many patients with SLE but can have toxic side effects; this EULAR 2022 session discussed one institution’s approach to lower the dosage.
Clinicians have numerous treatment options for SLE; in a EULAR 2022 session, some of the newer therapies were reviewed.
Chambers et al. found no evidence of an increased risk of major structural birth defects nor any increase in a wide range of other pregnancy outcomes attributable to prenatal exposure to hydroxychloroquine.
A special article in the December issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology summarizes the current understanding of the cardiac toxicity of HCQ and CQ.
We are now a year-and-a-half into the COVID‑19 pandemic, and rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals are still facing some of the same challenges that began in spring 2020, as well as new ones. Most recently, we learned that COVID‑19 vaccine efficacy is reduced in some patients on immunosuppressive therapies and the need for additional immunization is…
At the 2021 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, Saira Sheikh, MD, associate professor of Medicine and director of the Rheumatology Lupus Clinic, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, provided an update on the past, present and future of the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This year, hydroxychloroquine received a great deal of attention, given early…