Lupus News

Approximately 27% of patients with a rheumatic disease experienced a change in employment status during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to survey results published in The Lancet Rheumatology.

In the 10 years since its first FDA approval for systemic lupus erythematosus in 2011, belimumab has altered the “SLE treatment paradigm,” amassing a body of evidence establishing it as a disease-modifying therapy, according to a review article.

The FDA has approved AstraZeneca’s anifrolumab-fnia, a first-in-class type I interferon receptor antagonist, for treatment of adults with moderate to severe systemic lupus erythematosus, according to a press release.

Patients with childhood-onset lupus nephritis should receive up to three infusions of methylprednisolone at 30 mg/kg per dose upon diagnosis, with a maximum 60 mg of daily oral corticosteroids in the first 4 weeks, according to researchers.

Approximately 18% of patients in a rheumatic disease registry used cannabis in 2019, up from 6.3% in 2014, with the highest prevalence occurring in states where its use is legal, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

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.

Neuropsychiatric events caused by systemic lupus erythematosus are associated with active disease, male sex, corticosteroids and concurrent non-lupus events, except headaches, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Less than 10% of Medicaid beneficiaries with systemic lupus erythematosus are vaccinated against preventable diseases such as influenza, herpes zoster, cervical cancer and others, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Patients who received rheumatology care from nurse practitioners or physician assistants rated their overall experience similarly to those who saw a rheumatologist, according to survey data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Routine care for inflammatory arthritis should include self-management strategies that feature problem-solving, goal-setting and, if possible, cognitive behavioral therapy, according to new EULAR recommendations.