Lupus News

A 2-year, sustained mean blood pressure of 130-139/80-89 mm Hg — now considered the threshold for stage 1 hypertension by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association — is associated with a 73% higher risk for atherosclerotic vascular events among patients with lupus, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The American College of Rheumatology, the Lupus Foundation of America, the Arthritis Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology have issued a joint statement calling on Vice President Mike Pence to address shortages of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, following comments from White House regarding their potential use in treating COVID-19.

Late last week, President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the medical industry when he announced in a press conference that the FDA had approved the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine to treat patients infected with coronavirus.

High cumulative use of oral glucocorticoids was associated with excess incidence of hypertension, according to research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Neither elective nor medically indicated abortions resulted in worse outcomes among patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

The situation with COVID-19, or the currently circulating coronavirus, is developing so rapidly that new information may likely be available by the time you reach the end of this paragraph. But along with factual information, misinformation also abounds on social media, on cable news channels and in print publications. Healio Rheumatology will attempt to set the record straight for health care providers looking to sort out fact from fiction.

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease receiving conventional DMARDs and a prime-boost vaccination strategy — a dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and a dose of 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine — saw improved immunogenicity, compared with single pneumococcal conjugate vaccination, according to data published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Anakinra was effective in pediatric patients with non–malignancyassociated secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/macrophage activation syndrome, particularly when administered early and in those with underlying rheumatic disease, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

The United Rheumatology Spring National Meeting will offer attendees lectures on cutting edge topics such as genomics and transcriptomics in addition to a range of continuing medical education activities. But the real appeal of United Rheumatology, and of the meeting, will be the guidance that can be provided to independent rheumatologists regarding practice management strategies and interacting with payers.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —Rheumatologists, focused as they are on inflammatory symptoms, are often less familiar with cardiovascular management, according to M. Elaine Husni, MD, MPH, of the Cleveland Clinic.