A recent study suggests that metabolites may be a biomarker for disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). For the first time, researchers identified serum metabolomic profiles and 16 clinical parameters that serve as a reasonably predictive model for a patient’s therapeutic response to biological treatment of RA, specifically TNF-α inhibitor therapy…
Statins have anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory effects that may be useful in preventing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but previous observational studies about the risk of RA with statin use yielded conflicting results. In this large population-based study, high-intensity statin treatment was associated with a 23% reduced risk of RA when compared with low-intensity statin treatment. This is the largest study on the association of statins with RA risk to date, and the first to assess the effect of relative statin strength…
According to a new study, patients with aggressive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have lower levels of non-esterified fatty acids, which coincide with an enhanced Th1 response. Researchers suggest that lower EPA and DHA at the onset of RA may exacerbate inflammation, and fatty acids may become a novel therapeutic target for the disease…
A recent analysis compared the care of patients with RA with that received by patients with gout, finding that hospitalization and costs for patients with gout have increased, but both are decreasing for patients with RA. Unlike RA, significant advances in treatment have not been made for gout, despite its increasing prevalence, and patients may land in the hospital unnecessarily…
Survey results released earlier this year found that communication difficulties exist between patients and their rheumatologists for many reasons—possibly resulting in more disease activity despite advances in RA treatments. Here are tips for communicating with your patients and helping them be more proactive in their care…
New research examined the peripheral blood in patients with rheumatoid arthritis to investigate the association between disease activity, treatment and the functional activity of ABCB1 and ABCG2 drug efflux transporters. Results showed that transporter activity may correlate with increased disease activity and persist unrelated to treatment for as long as six months in some patients…
(Reuters)—Mesoblast Ltd. on Monday said its experimental stem-cell treatment led to significant improvements of symptoms and disease activity in patients whose rheumatoid arthritis had stopped being helped by widely used biotech medicines, according to data from a mid-stage trial. Treatment with the Australian company’s mesenchymal precursor cell (MPC) product, MPC-300-IV, was deemed well tolerated with…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Biosimilar tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors appear equivalent to the branded original versions, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis. As Dr. G. Caleb Alexander tells Reuters Health by email, “biologic treatments represent a rapidly growing proportion of prescription drug expenditures and thus there is enormous interest in whether or not biosimilar products…
Results from a clinical trial support the efficacy of vobarilizumab for treating RA. Plus, the UK will recommend the use of certolizumab pegol to treat severe cases of RA in upcoming guidelines…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Methotrexate with step-down glucocorticoid remission induction (COBRA Slim) is an effective, safe and feasible initial treatment strategy for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), researchers from Belgium report. Patients with early RA should be treated rapidly, intensively and to target, according to current guidelines, they note in a paper online July 18…