Rheumatology News and Research

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Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists mainly deal with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues and allied conditions of connective tissues.

New BSR report sets roadmap to enhance care for individuals with rare rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions

The British Society for Rheumatology has today launched a report setting out a programme of work to enhance care for people with rare rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions.

11 May 2016

Diabetes risk linked to increased dosage, duration and timing of steroids

Glucocorticoid (or steroid) therapy, prescribed to around half of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, is a known risk factor for developing diabetes. A study from The University of Manchester has found how the risk of diabetes increases in relation to the dosage, duration and timing of steroids.

4 May 2016

Study finds link between placenta and offspring bone

Researchers at the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, studied 518 children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) who underwent bone scans at nine, 15 and 17 years old. Measurements such as thickness, volume and weight, were also taken from the mothers' placenta.

4 May 2016

People diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis often left with little or no support for emotional problems

In a new University of Manchester study, people with psoriatic arthritis have told researchers about the condition's deeply damaging mental effects and how healthcare services failed to prepare them for its reality.

29 Apr 2016

MGH-led study confirms safety of allergy immunotherapy

A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has found no evidence of infections related to administration of allergy immunotherapy, the common practice of injecting minimal quantities of allergens beneath the skin to reduce the allergic response.

18 Apr 2016

Study supports screening for HLA-B*5801 gene variant in Asian, black patients with gout

A multi-institutional study led by a Massachusetts General Hospital investigator finds significant racial disparities in the risk that patients being treated for gout will develop a serious, sometimes life-threatening adverse reaction to the most commonly prescribed medication. The increased risk closely correlates with the frequency of a gene variant previously associated with that adverse reaction, supporting recommendations to screen for that variant in patients from those populations.

16 Apr 2016

M10 peptide could help protect systemic sclerosis patients against fibrotic damage

The results of preclinical studies by investigators at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) reported in the April 2016 issue of Translational Research suggest that the M10 peptide could help protect against fibrotic damage in patients with systemic sclerosis, particularly in those who develop interstitial lung diseases (ILD), its deadliest complication.

15 Apr 2016

Carbohydrate-binding protein controls inflammation in osteoarthritis patients

More and more people, particularly older people, are suffering from osteoarthritis due to wear and tear on their joints. This primarily affects the knee and hip joints but also the spine. In earlier studies, scientists at MedUni Vienna Department of Orthopaedics showed that raised levels of certain proteins, so-called galectins, and their docking sites are found in patients with osteoarthritis.

7 Apr 2016

Researchers develop mouse model for testing vaccines, therapeutics to battle Zika virus

A research team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has established a mouse model for testing of vaccines and therapeutics to battle Zika virus.

6 Apr 2016

$Ethnicity, socioeconomic status and place of residence influence risk of experiencing a fracture$

Ethnicity, socioeconomic status and place of residence influence risk of experiencing a fracture

Ethnicity, socioeconomic status and place of residence in the UK all influence the risk of breaking a bone, a new Southampton study has shown.

5 Apr 2016

Rheumatoid arthritis patients who stop smoking reduce their risk of earlier death

University of Manchester-led research has found new evidence to suggest that, not only is smoking associated with earlier deaths in those with rheumatoid arthritis, but also those who stop smoking dramatically reduce their risk of earlier death, as published in Arthritis Care and Research journal.

31 Mar 2016

BSR report outlines plans to help patients make informed choices about their treatment

A lack of national data and indicators in the UK makes it difficult for rheumatologists to demonstrate effective care for patients with inflammatory arthritis. This also leaves patients without the information they need to take control of their care.

31 Mar 2016

Cinqair (reslizumab) approved for treatment of severe asthma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cinqair (reslizumab) for use with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of severe asthma in patients aged 18 years and older. Cinqair is approved for patients who have a history of severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) despite receiving their current asthma medicines.

23 Mar 2016

Phase 3 study: Sarilumab monotherapy meets primary endpoint in active rheumatoid arthritis patients

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi today announced that a Phase 3 monotherapy study met its primary endpoint demonstrating that sarilumab was superior to adalimumab (marketed by AbbVie as HUMIRA) in improving signs and symptoms in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at Week 24.

11 Mar 2016

Xencor begins XmAb5871 Phase 2 trials in patients with IgG4-RD and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Xencor, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergic diseases and cancer, today announced dosing the first patient in a Phase 2 trial of XmAb5871 in patients with IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD).

8 Mar 2016

Systemic sclerosis: an interview with Dr Kristin Highland

Systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma, is a rare disease characterized by the thickening and scarring of connective tissue of multiple organs in the body

7 Mar 2016

Vitamin D supplements during pregnancy do not improve babies' bone health, but may have seasonal effect

Taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy, as recommended for all women under UK guidelines, has no significant effect on the bone density of babies, according to the first randomised controlled trial of its kind, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.