Rheumatoid Arthritis News

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.

Among patients who are cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody positive, the risk for rheumatoid arthritis significantly increases as the level of antibodies rise, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

A single 1,000-mg infusion of rituximab significantly slows the development of arthritis among patients at risk for rheumatoid arthritis, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are treated with abatacept as a first- or second-line biologic treatment have a lower risk for hospitalized infection compared with those treated with TNF inhibitors, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

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.

Hand and foot function assessed with the signals of functional impairment instrument among patients with rheumatoid arthritis may complement self-reported and medical data, in the clinic and in research, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis with predominantly tender joints demonstrate higher composite disease activity scores, or CDAS, but lower levels of ultrasound-detected inflammation, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

The prevalence of interstitial lung disease related to rheumatoid arthritis appeared to slowly increase between 2003 and 2014, and while patient out-of-pocket costs associated with the disease remained stable over time, they were nonetheless substantial, according to data published in the Journal of Rheumatology.

The burden of cardiovascular comorbidities is similar between rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis, despite dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus being nearly half as prevalent in systemic sclerosis than in rheumatoid arthritis, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Abdominal obesity heightens the risk for rheumatoid arthritis considerably among women aged 55 years and older regardless of BMI, according to findings presented at the ACR/ARHP 2018 Annual Meeting.