The journal Cells has published a review of new rheumatic disorders following COVID-19 infection. Rheumatologists have infrequently noted such events and wondered what is the true incidence or range of possible manifestations.
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EULAR has published evidence-based recommendations on the use of intra-articular therapies (IAT) based on the literature review and recommendations of a multidisciplinary international task force. These IAT recommendations apply to adult patients with peripheral arthropathies.
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This is the #1 question I get from new consults: “How did I get arthritis?”
But as the aching are asking, they are really thinking these joint complaints must be due to:
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“One faces the future with one’s past” – Pearl S. Buck
2021 was the year we waited for the other shoe to drop; with the pandemic stone in your shoe, you waited for:
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Analysis of two large cohorts of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients shows a signfiicant minority of patients to have autoantibodies typical of rheumatoid erosive arthrits, but their presence in SSc patients was associated with unique manifestations of SSc.
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Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is one of the safest meds used in rheumatology, but there is new claims data suggesting a small increase in the risk of malformations associated with first-trimester HCQ use.
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While the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommends holding mycophenolate (MMF) in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) patients receiving COVID-19 vaccines, there is limited data on such an approach.
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Clinical trials generally fail in Sjögren's syndrome; but now a study shows that a biologic B cell inhibitor, ianalumab, met its primary endpoint with a dose-related decrease in disease activity (measured by ESSDAI) at week 24.
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A recent trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine analyzed the effects of B-cell depletion (rituximab) followed by B-cell suppression (belimumab) and showed effective lowering of anti-dsDNA titers and and fewer severe flare in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
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Based on the safety review of tofacitinib in Pfizer's Oral Surveillance (1133) study, the FDA has added serious boxed warnings to all three marketed JAK inhibitors (for inflammatory diseases) and formalized the recommendation that patients should be started on a TNF inhibitor (TNFi) before trying
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The 2021 Medscape Survey on Physician burnout ranks rheumatology second, just behind Critical Care medicine.
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The results of the KEEPSaKE-1 study in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has been published and shows that risankizumab (RIZ), an IL-23 inhibitor, showed significant clinical improvements when given to active PsA patients who failed or were intolerant to ≥1 csDMARD.
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The question as to how autoimmune rheumatic disease patients fare with the COVID vaccine is one being asked in rheumatologists’ offices everywhere this year, and at the EULAR 2021 Virtual Congress, data presented from Israel, one of the first countries to vaccinate on a br
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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
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Genentech announced March 4th that the US Food and Drug Administration approved tocilizumab (Actemra) for the treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease (SSc-ILD), specifically indicated for slowing the rate of decline in pulmonary function in adults SSc-ILD.
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Since the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in January 2021, rheumatologists have fully advocated the protective benefits of their use - yet many have rarely noted flares and reactive side effects worrisome to patients. Now a multinational study shows that the use of COVID vaccination in rheumat
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It began as many cases do: an ill patient, in the ICU, with signs and symptoms across several body systems, yet no clear unifying diagnosis on admission. With things stabilizing, the internal medicine hospital team on which I was serving as hospitalist that week, assumed care of the patient.
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The current edition of the MMWR from the CDC shows that among those vaccinated against COVID-19, there is a low risk of severe outcomes (hospitalization and death); the highest risk is seen in those with multiple comorbidities.
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Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is new and serious complication of COVID-19 that preferentially affects adolescents. A review of proposed management guidelines is compiled in this report, suggesting a unified approach to therapeutic management of MIS-C.
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Safety comparisons of JAKi (tofacitinib) vs.
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