Brooks et al. evaluated the risk of lung cancer in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and RA-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) compared with the risk in matched controls without RA or RA-ILD. Understanding whether RA predisposes someone to lung cancer and whether patients with RA-ILD represent a uniquely high-risk group could inform cancer-screening strategies.
U.S. & E.U. Differ on Filgotinib for RA
This summer, the FDA rejected a new drug application for filgotinib to treat RA in the U.S., but a European Medicines Agency committee issued a positive opinion, moving filgotinib closer to authorized use in the E.U.
State-of-the-Art Course on Interprofessional Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis
During an interactive, case-based course at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, participants will develop strategies to help patients manage unique barriers to access to care and adherence…
Antibodies Can Spot RA in the General Population
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), particularly high anti-CCP2 titers, can diagnose rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the general population with a high degree of accuracy, a Swedish study suggests. ACPA are highly specific for RA, but until now the diagnostic accuracy of ACPA in the general population has not been “thoroughly assessed,” note Dr….
Cholesterol Levels in Patients with RA Starting Methotrexate
Although research regarding the increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has burgeoned in recent years, the need remains for a better understanding of the effects of widely used DMARDs on CV risk and risk factors in RA patients. These authors set out to evaluate the long-term changes in cholesterol levels in patients with early RA. Decreases in RA disease activity over long-term follow-up were associated with increases in cholesterol levels in patients with early RA treated with either biologic or nonbiologic therapies…
Methotrexate Increases Risk of Recurrent Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Methotrexate appears to increase the risk of recurrent nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a retrospective study. “We have known for some time that several of the immunosuppressive agents used to treat RA and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are also associated with an increased risk of…
FDA Declines to Expand Approval of Pfizer Arthritis Drug Xeljanz
(Reuters)—U.S. health regulators declined to approve Pfizer Inc’s oral rheumatoid arthritis drug Xeljanz (tofacitinib) to treat moderate to severe cases of plaque psoriasis, the drugmaker said on Wednesday. Pfizer said it received a complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration. Such letters typically outline concerns and conditions that must be addressed in order…
Self-Monitoring of RA Treatment May Lead to Fewer Office Visits
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Self-monitoring of methotrexate therapy may curb healthcare utilization in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis, according to a new trial. The study indicates “that this novel model of care led to significant reductions in outpatient visits to the (clinical nurse specialist) and a reduction in visits to the GP, while maintaining the…
Early, Aggressive Therapy for RA May Result in Cost Savings Long Term
By considering the long-term damage from early, aggressive rheumatoid arthritis, researchers in the UK were able to develop a model demonstrating the long-term cost effectiveness of more aggressive combination therapies v. short-term treatments…
Depression May Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease for RA Patients
(Reuters Health)—Mental health problems, like anxiety and depression, may partly explain why people with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. Researchers linked anger, anxiety, depressive symptoms, job stress and low social support to increasing risk of hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, for people with rheumatoid arthritis…