Lupus News

Low disease activity and remission definitions used for adult systemic lupus erythematosus are achievable among children and can significantly reduce the risk for severe flare, according to data published in Rheumatology.

Few randomized clinical trials support using repository corticotropin injection for most FDA-approved indications, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, optic neuritis and nephrotic syndrome, according to researchers.

Significant knowledge and research gaps are making it difficult to provide evidence-based recommendations on induced abortion to patients with rheumatic disease, according to a review article published in Arthritis Care & Research.

The majority of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus experience persistent depression despite disease activity changes and use of medications for mood disorders, pain and lupus, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Rheumatology patients and clinicians alike express a “strong” preference for in-person visits rather than telemedicine, citing concerns over reduced assessment accuracy and increased inequality for vulnerable groups, according to data from the U.K.

The use of hydroxychloroquine during pregnancy is not associated with structural birth defects or any other outcomes, save for birth head circumference, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Patients with rare autoimmune rheumatic diseases have a 54% increased risk for COVID-19 infection, and more than twice the risk for COVID-19 death, versus the general population, according to data published in Rheumatology.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a significant decrease in autoimmunity laboratory testing, first rheumatology visits and diagnoses from 2019 to 2020, according to Italian data published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

A median of just 16.2% of adults with arthritis attended a self-management class in 2019, while that same year 69.3% received counseling for physical activity from their provider, according to CDC researchers.

Belimumab after rituximab reduces serum IgG anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels and the risk for severe flare in systemic lupus erythematosus refractory to conventional therapy, according to data.