Focus on Rheumatoid Arthritis

January 15, 2021

Although the stakes couldn’t be higher and the promotion of healthy behavior is paramount, the emphasis on BMI and weight is likely to yield little benefit. The Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) developed Health at Every Size (HAES) to take the focus off of weight change and place it more squarely on health, thus supporting people of all sizes to take care of themselves and improve health outcomes.

January 13, 2021

Previously proven to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment for patients with RA, baricitinib can also help patients reduce joint damage progression and erosion.

January 13, 2021

Coupled with the fact that there were no new safety concerns identified, these findings further solidify the safety and effectiveness of abatacept for RA patients.

January 12, 2021

The study is the first randomized trial to examine the comparative benefits and safety of biological drugs with different modes of action versus active conventional treatment.

December 09, 2020

Continued use of low dose glucocorticoid in patients with rheumatoid arthritis also treated with stable DMARD therapy is associated with a small but significant risk of serious infection, show the results of a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

December 08, 2020

Adding rituximab to mycophenolate mofetil may necessitate a lower average daily dose of prednisone in patients with recalcitrant connective tissue disease–associated interstitial lung disease, but the combination treatment may not improve pulmonary function, shows a new study.

December 04, 2020

Stories on COVID-19 were no doubt among our most read stories in 2020, but so too were stories on diet and rheumatic disease, rheumatoid arthritis treatment options, a new treatment for osteoarthritis and a story about selecting appropriate exercise regimens for rheumatic conditions. In this slideshow, we highlight the stories that resonated most with our readers in 2020.

December 03, 2020

In rheumatoid arthritis, physician scientists are beginning to zero in on personalized medicine. In this interview, Dr. Leslie R. Harrold, chief scientific officer of Corrona, and a University of Massachusetts associate professor, summarizes a study she recently presented at ACR 2020 in which she describes biomarkers and patient characteristics she and her team have identified as taking us one step closer to precision medicine.

December 03, 2020

DMARDs improve vascular stiffness in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis regardless of impact on rheumatoid arthritis disease, shows new research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

November 20, 2020

The annual direct costs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are estimated to range from $12,509-$36,053. A late diagnosis costs even more and one in 10 new RA cases are usually diagnosed late. In this presentation, Kathryn Johnson, RPh, of CVS Health breaks down the numbers.

November 20, 2020

In this slideshow, we take a look at some of our most popular stories on rheumatoid arthritis from thinking of the disease as two diseases instead of one, and new treatment approaches you may want to consider.

November 20, 2020

Roy M. Fleischmann, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, assess a case of a 53-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis.

November 04, 2020

Depression may be linked to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis, particularly patients taking antidepressants, shows a new study.

November 04, 2020

Weight fluctuation in rheumatoid arthritis patients appears to be associated with higher cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, especially if they are not overweight, shows a new study.

October 31, 2020

Patients with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis should be participating in four different types of exercise: cardiovascular, strength, flexibility, and balance. But a new study shows that patients are overly focused on cardiovascular exercise and not enough on exercise types designed to strengthen and protect joints and bones. In this interview, Dr. Lauren Freid, a rheumatologist with the University of California Los Angeles and the lead investigator of a study on physical activity in people with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis, addresses exercise essentials for inflammatory rheumatic disease.

October 16, 2020

Stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on one's health and hinder recovery, particularly for patients with chronic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis. In an article published online Sept. 13 in ACR Open Rheumatology, Joshua F. Baker, M.D., and colleagues report the results of study that finds veterans with rheumatoid arthritis and comorbid PTSD, depression, or anxiety, have poor persistence of methotrexate and TNFi therapies leading to worse outcomes. He addresses the study findings in this interview.

October 12, 2020

Numbers of a new type of cell discovered in the blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients increase dramatically immediately before a flare.

October 12, 2020

The underlying pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis with and without autoantibodies may be different. Researchers say that "it is time to formally subdivide RA into type 1 (with autoantibodies) and type 2 (without autoantibodies)."

October 09, 2020

In today’s one-on-one interview, we talk with Dimitrios A. Pappas, M.D., MPH, scientific director of the Corrona RA Registry and an adjunct professor with Columbia University. He and his team recently published results from the registry in ACR Open Rheumatology which show that rheumatoid arthritis patients may be able to maintain remission or low disease activity with etanercept (Enbrel, Amgen) monotherapy long-term treatment.

September 21, 2020

Low-dose oral glucocorticoid therapy increases only vertebral fracture risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients, a study shows.