Rheumatoid Arthritis News

AUSTIN, Texas — The overall health care cost of caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease has increased at a rapid rate over the last 20 years, according to data presented at Crohn’s and Colitis Congress.

When treating rheumatoid arthritis initially with methotrexate and glucocorticoids, the presence of poor prognostic factors should prompt physicians to add any JAK inhibitor or biologic DMARD, with no preference given to the latter, according to a 2019 update to the EULAR recommendations for RA management.

There is an increased risk for developing inflammatory arthritis among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, according to a population-based cohort study published in JAMA Dermatology.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who follow the ideal clinical pathway have a reduced risk for overall adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, tofacitinib is associated with a 2-fold greater risk for herpes zoster infection compared with etanercept, abatacept, adalimumab, golimumab, certolizumab, infliximab and tocilizumab, according to data published in The Lancet Rheumatology.

Despite treat-to-target recommendations for rheumatoid arthritis, only 38% of patients with high disease activity were offered a treatment change during their most recent visit with their rheumatologist, according to survey results published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

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Frequent mental distress is commonly reported among adults with arthritis across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with the highest prevalence reported in the Appalachian region and southern states, according to data published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Declines in muscle density among patients with rheumatoid arthritis are linked to greater disease activity, smoking and low insulin-like growth factor-1 levels, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Factors that impact TNF inhibitor prescribing decisions for patients with rheumatoid arthritis can range from cost pressures, to the pharmaceutical industry, to hospital culture to the desire for more clinical autonomy, and may contribute to regional variation in clinical practice, according to findings published in BMC Rheumatology.