Rheumatoid Arthritis News

PHILADELPHIA — At the Musculoskeletal Infection Society Annual Open Scientific Meeting, Andy O. Miller, MD, infectious disease specialist at Hospital for Special Surgery, said patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were on biologics had higher rates of Staphylococcus aureus skin carriage.

Disease activity and the use of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs among patients with rheumatoid arthritis vary from country to country, with many factors influencing their inverse relationship, including per capita gross domestic product, drug affordability and reimbursement rules, according to findings published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased disease severity among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to findings presented at the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo, in Chicago.

Obesity, higher body fat and higher waist circumference are associated with a greater risk for rheumatoid arthritis among women, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Patients who eventually develop rheumatoid arthritis have higher rates of primary care consultation at least 2 years prior to their physician’s first recorded suspicion that they may have the disease, according to findings published in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

The gene HIP1 has been newly associated with rheumatoid arthritis disease severity, and could potentially prove to be a novel predictive biomarker and target for treatment, according to findings published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Most mobile apps currently available on iTunes and the Google Play store that are aimed at patients with rheumatoid arthritis fail to provide users with a comprehensive experience, with few providing both educational information and the ability to track symptoms, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology.

Physical activity should be an integral part of standard care in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis and knee and hip osteoarthritis, and all health care providers should take responsibility for promoting its use, according to recommendations released by EULAR.

Approximately 47% of female patients in the United Kingdom who are prescribed hydroxychloroquine are given excess doses, based on ideal-body-weight dosing, according to findings published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Although nearly half of patients with RA use natural dietary supplements, just 30% of these patients inform their physician about their use, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.