Gout News

A reminder of some common and not-so-common clinical scenarios can make every rheumatologist more capable of delivering optimal patient care, according to a presenter at the 2021 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology-West.

Probenecid could potentially be used to prevent or treat not only COVID-19, but other respiratory illnesses including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infection, according to data published in Scientific Reports.

Among patients with arthritis, receiving exercise recommendations from a physician is “critical” to meeting physical activity guidelines and relieving symptom burden, regardless of race and ethnicity, researchers noted in BMC Public Health.

A group of researchers have developed a rule that can help identify patients at high risk for gout flare during a hospital stay, according to data published in Rheumatology.

Although allopurinol, febuxostat and pegloticase are still relied on to do the heavy lifting in lowering urate for patients with gout, an “influx of newer agents” may help expand effective disease management, according to a presenter here.

There is a lack of high-quality treatment studies in patients hospitalized for gout flares, and zero prospective studies on ways to improve urate-lowering therapy use and prevent readmission, according to data published in Rheumatology.

Canakinumab fails to significantly increase the likelihood of survival without accompanying invasive mechanical ventilation, compared with placebo, in patients with severe COVID-19, according to data published in JAMA.

This past spring, two studies shed light on how some of the largest clinician organizations and publishers in rheumatology, including the American College of Rheumatology and EULAR, have failed to provide adequate training materials or clear guidelines when it comes to caring for patients of color.

Although there are few studies on the subject outside of North America and Europe, the available data suggest that a minority of patients with gout receive treat-to-target care worldwide, according to data.

To avoid perpetuating misinformation regarding rheumatic diseases, rheumatologists should ensure they are aware of the available evidence – or lack thereof – for some of the popular myths patient hold about their disease, noted a speaker at the EULAR 2021 Congress.