Raynaud’s Syndrome News

Given the potential for false-positives in Scl-70 antibody testing for systemic sclerosis, many clinicians have overlooked the trio of classic signs and symptoms that would have otherwise “made the diagnosis,” according to a presenter here.

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.

Inability to use one’s fingers and the appearance of new ulcers are among the top five concerns that would prompt treatment escalation in patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon secondary to systemic sclerosis, according to data.

Microvascular complications from the use of calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists for migraines are uncommon in patients with underlying Raynaud’s syndrome, according to data published in JAMA Network Open.

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease, but especially those with autoimmune conditions, as well as those treated with rituximab, may be at greater risk for severe COVID-19 pneumonia than the general population, according to data.

COVID-19 is more severe, with more complications and higher mortality, than influenza among patients with autoimmune disease, according to data published in Rheumatology.

Fatigue and Raynaud’s syndrome were rated “important” or “very important” as barriers to physical activity in at least 50% of patients with systemic sclerosis, according to survey results published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Digital ulcers, Raynaud symptoms and gastrointestinal complications are the biggest contributors to worsening quality of life in patients with systemic sclerosis, according to data published in Rheumatology.

The COVID-19 pandemic, in places like Detroit, with a large working-class population, can highlight the gap between the rich and the poor. It can demonstrate how political unrest can impact the response to a critical situation. Moreover, it can show how health care workers can face both personal and professional challenges in managing an outbreak of this magnitude.

Cancer screening for high-risk patients with scleroderma should involve basic age, sex and risk factor targeted screening, paying particular attention to mammography in women and prostate-specific antigen in men, according to Ami Shah, MD, of John Hopkins University, at the virtual ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium.