Rheumatoid Arthritis

Modern pharmacologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritisare effective in controlling inflammation and preventing bone erosions however, a multitude of factors are likely to blame for ongoing bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis.

Periodontal disease and periodontal inflammation appear to be present in individuals who are at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis long before they begin to show signs of disease, shows new research published in JAMA Network Open.

Identifying and treating symptoms that can appear years before the clinical onset of rheumatoid arthritis could play a role in helping patients offset the condition. And now, new research that identifies a bacteria as a potential cause of these symptoms has one rheumatologist positing whether improved oral care, or maybe a vaccine, might be effective in preventing rheumatoid arthritis.

The JAK1-selective inhibitor upadacitinib successfully improved the signs, symptoms and function of rheumatoid arthritis patients in a randomized clinical trial published this month in Arthritis and Rheumatology.

Investigators found positive results when examining the safety and efficacy of filgotinib in the FINCH 2 phase 3 clinical trial.

The impact of chronic inflammatory disease on sexual function may seem obvious but it is poorly understood. Pain, morning stiffness, joint swelling and fatigue can lead to a decreased sexual interest and can inhibit actual intercourse. In this article, Dr. Kim Gorgens reviews the current literature on sexual function for patients with chronic conditions, such as arthritis, and makes recommendations for incorporating sexual function complications as part of the discussion in a clinic exam. 

In this month's health quiz, we revisit some of our most popular articles published in recent weeks. This includes news reports on the safety and efficacy of baricitinib, upadacitinib effectiveness as monotherapy, inherited rheumatoid arthritis and our most popular story from this month:  The sexual health of patients with musculoskeletal conditions.

In an article published in a recent edition of Arthritis Research & Therapy, Jurgen Wollenhaupt and colleagues from multiple international centers have discovered that tofacitinib 5mg and 10mg twice a day remained effective and safe even after 8 and 9.5 years respectively.

Anne-Mari Mustonen and colleagues in Finland have determined the respective fatty acid (FA) signatures found in the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While the authors’ findings are inconclusive, they give insight into the complex alterations in fatty acid profiles found in knee arthropathies. They present their findings in a recent Arthritis Research & Therapy.

MRI-guided treat-to-target treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis is no better than conventional treat-to-target strategies, researchers reported in JAMA in February. However, in a new commentary posted this month in JAMA, researchers raise some interesting points experts may want to reconsider.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients who failed first-line methotrexate achieved better outcomes with upadacitinib monotherapy, shows a new clinical trials report.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with baricitinib at any point during their treatment, experience improved outcomes, a new clinical trials report shows.

Children born to women who have rheumatoid arthritis during pregnancy could experience life-long health effects due to changes to DNA that alter genetic activity, new research indicates.

A new study reframes rheumatoid arthritis, broadly considered to be a connective tissue disorder, as having deeper neurological ties.

In the phase 3b/4 ORAL Shift study, tofacitinib monotherapy was shown to be comparable to tofacitinib with methotrexate.

A pilot study presented this weekend at EULAR suggests that electro stimulation of the vagus nerve reduces rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

A new study of AbbVie’s original JAK1-selective inhibitor indicates that it outdoes adalimumab without sacrificing safety in rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving combination treatment were more likely to reach ACR20, ACR50, and ACR70 than those receiving methotrexate monotherapy.

Assorted trials and a long-term exposure study of 3770 patients with rheumatoid arthritis further demonstrate baricitinib’s previously recorded safety profile.

Switching from a biologic to a biosimilar did not affect safety or efficacy in a clinical trial of a rheumatoid arthritis biosimilar for etanercept (Enbrel, Amgen), shows a new study.

A second study published in May on the safety and efficacy of biosimilars, shows that switching rheumatoid arthritis patients from etanercept (Enbrel, Amgen) to its biosimilar etanercept-szzs (Erelzi, Sandoz), does not affect efficacy, safety or immunogenicity of etanercept.

Getting more exercise can reduce a woman’s risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to new research.

Serious infections are low, but herpes zoster surpasses expectations, review article shows.

The JAK inhibitor tofacitinib presents a comparably low risk of venous thromboembolism to rheumatoid arthritis patients as do TNFi inhibitors, according to a new study.

Tofacitinib 5 mg or 10 mg twice daily with methotrexate can sustain improvements for 24 months, one study shows.