Psoriatic Arthritis News

The specialty of rheumatology has become increasingly popular over the past several years for physicians who have completed their residencies, which has been attributed to a variety of factors, including lifestyle, job satisfaction, job availability, mentorship opportunities, and intellectual interest.

Although methotrexate is generally well-tolerated and efficacious in the treatment of psoriasis, it is even more effective, with fewer reported adverse effects, among patients with psoriasis but without psoriatic arthritis, compared with those with both, according data published in JAMA Dermatology.

Inflammatory bowel disease events, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are uncommon in patients with psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis who were treated with secukinumab, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Splashy headlines in the mainstream media that proclaim advances in medicine are often not what they seem. That may be the case with a recent series of FDA approvals surrounding the direct-to-consumer genetic testing platform, 23andMe.

Baseline calprotectin serum levels independently predict disease relapse in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis who have achieved remission or low disease activity, according to findings published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Weekly doses of abatacept 125 mg for 24 weeks improved patient-reported outcomes in psoriatic arthritis, with better results among patients with elevated C-reactive protein at baseline and those who were not exposed to TNF inhibitors, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

CHICAGO — Phase 3 data from the SEAM-PsA study presented at the ACR/ARHP 2018 Annual Meeting showed that etanercept alone or in combination with methotrexate was effective against psoriatic arthritis and superior to methotrexate alone.

Remission and low disease activity in psoriatic arthritis, as defined by the Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis, better detected patients’ definition of remission and low disease activity compared to “very low disease activity” and “minimal disease activity” measures, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Adjusted treatment retention rates after 1 year were lower among patients who switched from etanercept to a biosimilar compared with the historic originator cohort, but nonetheless higher than those who did not switch, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Physicians should use a treat-to-target approach, as well as TNF inhibitor biologics as a first-line therapy, in all patients with active psoriatic arthritis, according to new treatment guidelines developed by the American College of Rheumatology and the National Psoriasis Foundation.