A study found resident memory T cells may mediate inflammatory arthritis and trigger flares in specific joints, suggesting local depletion of these cells could be a therapeutic strategy…
(Reuters Health)—The live herpes zoster vaccine does not provide reliable long-term protection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking tofacitinib, a recent study suggests. Current ACR guidelines conditionally recommend that patients with RA who are 50 years and older be vaccinated against herpes zoster prior to starting therapy with the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib or…
ATLANTA—A key goal for rheumatology researchers and clinicians is to predict through specific biomarkers if someone will, at some point in their future, develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA). If so, the disease could be prevented or stopped before the inflammation and ravaging begins, explained researchers during a Basic Science lecture at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In daily clinical practice, following a treat-to-target (T2T) strategy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) leads to higher rates of remission compared with not following a T2T strategy, according to a longitudinal analysis of real world data. “The results of the analysis provide direct evidence that following T2T, and particularly sustained T2T,…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)’Over the last three decades, there has been a significant decline in the incidence of rheumatoid factor (RF) positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), while the overall incidence of RA has remained about the same, researchers report. “These trends may suggest changing serological profile of RA over time which may have implications for RA…
New research has incorporated confounders, such as smoking, to build a clearer picture of family-related factors that may help predict who will develop rheumatoid arthritis…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Ultrasound guidance does not improve the effectiveness of treat-to-target therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), new findings confirm. “Incorporating ultrasound information in treatment decisions did not lead to reduced MRI inflammation or less structural damage compared with a conventional treatment strategy,” Dr. Ulf Sundin of Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, and colleagues write in Rheumatology….
Often, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients struggle with fatigue, and the cause of the fatigue remains unclear. Past research suggests RA-related fatigue may be moderately improved by physical activity. A recent narrative review supports these prior findings, noting that patients also benefit moderately from psychosocial interventions…