Rheumatism News and Research

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Rheumatism is a group of disorders marked by inflammation or pain in the connective tissue structures of the body. These structures include bone, cartilage, and fat.

Arthritis, rheumatism and total joint arthroplasty: an interview with Dr Ravi and Dr Hawker

Arthritis translates to “joint inflammation.” The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA), which affects 12-15% of North Americans over the age of 60, and will increase in prevalence as our population ages.

19 Dec 2012

Patients with RA more likely to have dislocation following hip replacement surgery

In the first systemic review of evidence assessing complications following total joint arthroplasty, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were found to have an increased risk for hip dislocation after hip replacement surgery compared to those with osteoarthritis (OA). Study findings published online in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), also indicate that RA patients have a higher infection risk following total knee replacement than patients with OA.

28 Nov 2012

Rituximab may help patients with aPL-related clinical problems

Rituximab, a drug used to treat cancer and arthritis, may help patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) who suffer from aPL-related clinical problems that do not respond to anticoagulation, such as cardiac disease and kidney disease, according to a new study by rheumatology researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery. The study appears online ahead of print, in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

21 Nov 2012

Gout diagnosis possible for rheumatoid arthritis patients

Rheumatoid arthritis patients can develop gout, say researchers who believe changes in treatment and obesity may explain why the comorbidity is now occurring.

12 Nov 2012

Low vitamin D levels mediate racial disparities in pain

A new study reveals that black Americans display lower levels of vitamin D and greater pain sensitivity compared to white Americans. Findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), indicate that vitamin D deficiency may be one of many factors that account for increased pain in older black Americans with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

7 Nov 2012

Musculoskeletal ultrasound being increasingly used for diagnosis and management of rheumatic diseases

More rheumatologists are embracing musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) to diagnose and manage rheumatic diseases. In response, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) assembled a task force to investigate and determine best practices for use of MSUS in rheumatology practice. The resulting scenario-based recommendations, which aim to help clinicians understand when it is reasonable to integrate MSUS into their rheumatology practices, now appear online in Arthritis Care & Research.

29 Oct 2012

Two-part ACR guidelines on gout

Gout is one of the most common forms of inflammatory arthritis, affecting nearly 4% of adult Americans. Newly approved guidelines that educate patients in effective methods to prevent gout attacks and provide physicians with recommended therapies for long-term management of this painful disease are published in Arthritis Care & Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

28 Sep 2012

Cherry intake reduces risk of gout attacks

A new study found that patients with gout who consumed cherries over a two-day period showed a 35% lower risk of gout attacks compared to those who did not eat the fruit.

28 Sep 2012

Pfizer announces that 14 abstracts for tofacitinib to be presented at ACR/ARHP annual meeting

Pfizer Inc. announced today that 14 abstracts for tofacitinib, an investigational oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), will be presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) / Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) 2012 Annual Meeting, which is being held November 9-14 in Washington, D.C.

18 Sep 2012

Study quantifies discrepancies between physicians and patients with rheumatoid arthritis

For people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, pain is the crucial factor in their personal perception of the condition. The doctors treating them, however, assess the severity of the disease based on the swelling of the joints. This discrepancy often leads to conflict between patients and their physicians, as a study by Daniel Aletaha and Paul Studenic from the University Department of Internal Medicine III at the MedUni Vienna has now revealed in more detail for the first time.

23 Aug 2012

FDA extends action date for Pfizer’s tofacitinib NDA review

Pfizer Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the action date by three months for the New Drug Application (NDA) for tofacitinib, an investigational oral treatment for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

22 Aug 2012

Study compares mortality rates among RA patients treated with individual TNF inhibitors

New research confirms no significant difference in the rates of death among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were exposed to one of several TNF inhibitors used to treat RA, adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel), and infliximab (Remicade).

8 Aug 2012

Top-line results from Pfizer's tofacitinib Phase 3 study on moderate-to-severe active RA

Pfizer Inc. announced today top-line results from ORAL Start (A3921069), a Phase 3 study of the investigational agent tofacitinib, a novel, oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

31 Jul 2012

Regeneron reports total revenues of $304 million for second quarter 2012

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2012 and provided an update on development programs.

25 Jul 2012

Discrepancies between patients and physicians' views of RA disease activity

Researchers from Austria have determined that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their doctors differ on perception of RA disease activity.

18 Jul 2012

Rheumatoid arthritis patients and their doctors differ on perception of disease activity

Researchers from Austria have determined that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their doctors differ on perception of RA disease activity. The study now available in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and published by Wiley, reports that RA patients cite joint pain as the reason for their perception of a change in their disease activity. Rheumatologists, however, stressed joint swelling as the major determinant for their perception of change in RA disease activity.

18 Jul 2012

Why is the incidence of gout increasing?

Gout has been described by the Daily Mail as something, “usually associated with port-swilling, over-fed elderly men of the 19th century”. (1) Recent research carried out at the Boston University School of Medicine, however, has found that the incidence of gout in the US is on the rise. (2) Thus, the condition is clearly not something that only affects this stereotype.

17 Jul 2012

Rheumatoid arthritis patients take-up cancer screening

Insurance records for rheumatoid arthritis patients in the USA indicate that patients are receiving their recommended cervical, breast, and colon cancer screening tests.

16 Jul 2012

RA patients do not receive fewer cancer screening tests than general population: Study

New research reveals that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients do not receive fewer cancer screening tests than the general population. Results of the study, funded in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), found that RA and non-RA patients receive routine screening for breast, cervical, and colon cancer at similar rates.

10 Jul 2012

Rheumatism drugs may increase shingles risk

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease treated with one of the most effective medicines for their disease face a substantially increased risk for developing shingles, warn European researchers who suggest vaccination may be an option.

15 Jun 2012