Cindy Lampner, MSLIS

A deeper insight into the burden of psychiatric comorbidities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Experts highlight the need for cancer screening strategies in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Researchers recently performed a review of literature published on the topic of central nervous system (CNS) involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the incidence of new-onset CNS diseases in patients with RA receiving antitumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) or non-anti-TNF biologics.

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have experienced treatment failure, switching to a second TNF inhibitor is generally successful, according to investigators.

Researchers are exploring whether there is another window of opportunity in which drug treatment in patients at high risk for RA might prevent the disease.

Rheumatologists reviewed the outcomes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who used hand exercise to improve function and subsequently improved daily living skills.

Physicians interviewed by Rheumatology Advisor recommend using the Clinical Disease Activity Index and to treat-to-target by measuring clinical response and adapting therapy rapidly for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers found data that showed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the delta-tetrahydrocannabinol found in medical cannabis is likely to contribute to an increase in heart rate in patients who are susceptible to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Medical cannabis was also not found to provide therapeutic effects when comparing it with a combination of cannabinoid type 1 antagonist, fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor, and nonpsychotropic cannabidiol.

Rheumatology Advisor interviewed Dr Sofat, who suggests that better control of periodontal disease might improve outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis.

Ocular symptoms can be the dominant clinical manifestation of rheumatic disease in some cases and knowledge of these relationships can improve the care of both the eye and the joint disease.

Novel nonsurgical treatments for osteoarthritis are being developed, but the benefits of new treatments must be weighed against their cost and potential risks.

Investigators found evidence that both aerobic and resistance training lowers insulin resistance, but further studies are needed to determine the specific effects in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Data suggest that patients in remission with baricitinib 4 mg daily dose who have taken this medication for at least 1 year may be able to attempt baricitinib dose-tapering while continuing their methotrexate regimen.

The American College of Rheumatology and the National Psoriasis Foundation have released 2018 joint recommendations for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis.

Many components of diet have been implicated as possible risk factors for RA, with varying degrees of evidence.

Therapeutic drug monitoring may be useful to help clinicians assess nonadherence in patients with SLE.

A recent systematic review found that nurse-led care is effective, acceptable, and safe in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Improved biomarkers are needed to monitor disease activity effectively in giant cell arteritis.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis often use natural-product dietary supplements, but few disclose this to their healthcare providers.

A rheumatologist and orthopedic surgeon provide an interdisciplinary perspective on the perioperative management of antirheumatic medications in patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery.

Geoffrey Littlejohn, MD, provides a clinical perspective on the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia and the role of neurogenic inflammation in the disease process.

It is unclear whether ankylosing spondylitis and axial psoriatic arthritis are part of a spectrum of the same disease, or whether they are separate diseases with overlapping features.

The pathogenic pathways of SLE-related cognitive dysfunction are yet to be fully elucidated, but vasculopathy, antibody-mediated neurotoxicity, impairments in cytokine signaling, and complement abnormalities have been proposed as contributing factors.

Sex contributes to several differences in RA disease aspects, including epidemiology, disease course, and management, which results in different experiences for affected men and women.

Experts are still debating the utility of a unidimensional composite score compared with a multidimensional score for the assessment of disease activity in psoriatic arthritis.

In this expert interview, Dr Sophie Mavrogeni discusses the cardio-rheumatic approach using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Chikungunya virus has become a disease of global concern due to its potentially disabling consequences and its efficient transmission.

The risk of developing SLE in current statin users aged ≥40 years was no different than that in nonusers.

Other biologic DMARDs were not associated with any significant clinically meaningful increase in Hb and Hct levels.

Rheumatoid factor positivity was associated with occurrence of CVD, independently from anti-CCP positivity.