Lupus

Tacrolimus maintenance over 5 years is well-tolerated and effective among patients with lupus nephritis, according to data published in The Journal of Rheumatology.

Among participants of a multiethnic lupus cohort recruited using the 1982/1997 American College of Rheumatology criteria, those who failed to achieve the new 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria accrued less damage than those who did, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

The Arthritis Foundation is more than 70 years old, but its newest theme — Live Yes! — is in its infancy. Historically, the organization has zeroed in on key pillars, including access to care, advocacy in government and attention to the often-overlooked juvenile arthritis. Yet, the Foundation also understood the importance of interpersonal connections and support networks to patient well-being: An idea that laid the foundation for an online community that simultaneously educates and empowers patients, while cultivating their input to develop solutions for issues common to the arthritis population.

Older patients with chronic autoimmune rheumatic diseases — rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis — who have sustained disease activity or organ damage should be evaluated for cognitive deficits, according to a review published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

The use of a wearable activity tracker, paired with counseling sessions with a physiotherapist, may potentially improve physical activity among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Federal and state regulators, as well as distributors and pharmacies, must act now to establish anti-stockpiling measures and expand mail-order programs, as well as other policies, to ensure access to needed medications in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an editorial published in JAMA.

The infection and mortality rates of COVID-19 seem to be comparable across international borders despite different countries employing widely different containment strategies, according to findings presented during a webinar hosted by United Rheumatology.

Evidence showing an increasing number of associations between rheumatologic conditions and COVID-19 has put rheumatologists in a key position to fight the infection, according to findings presented during a webinar hosted by United Rheumatology.

The FDA granted fast track designation to the recombinant fusion protein RC18 for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, according to the drug’s manufacturer.

Shortages of hydroxychloroquine, sparked by its still unproven potential as a COVID-19 treatment, may soon force rheumatologists to make difficult decisions regarding which of their patients receive the drug, and at what dosage, according to a study published in The Journal of Rheumatology.