Lupus

ATLANTA — The incidence of cardiovascular events related to systemic lupus erythematosus peaks at 1 to 2 years following diagnosis, with an 18-fold higher risk among black patients with SLE compared with white patients, according to a speaker at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting.

ATLANTA — Patients on Medicaid with systemic lupus erythematosus who underwent coronary revascularization procedures had 1.7 times higher 30-day mortality rates than those with diabetes who underwent the same procedures, according to a presenter here.

ATLANTA — Atmospheric changes and associated environmental stressors within 10 days of a clinic visit were linked to organ-specific lupus flares among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, according to a presentation at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting.

Opioid use and overdose, and certain vaccine-preventable diseases, are among conditions related to systemic lupus erythematosus that could be avoided or minimized through high-quality, timely ambulatory care, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Patients with the most damage related to systemic lupus erythematosus pay nearly nine times higher cumulative costs over a 10-year period compared with those with the lowest damage, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Among systemic rheumatic diseases, the risk for opportunistic infection is highest among patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis, followed by systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and primary Sjögren’s syndrome, according to data published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Although Medicaid expansion through the Affordable Care Act has increased insurance coverage, it has failed to address other barriers to care, including low income and rural residence, that increase the risk for preventable hospitalizations for lupus, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

The majority of physical therapists can accurately distinguish between inflammatory and noninflammatory arthritis and understand the importance of correct and prompt referrals to a rheumatologist for suspected inflammatory conditions, according to survey results published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Increased hydroxychloroquine blood levels can be used to predict later hydroxychloroquine retinopathy, according to findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

Low disease activity in lupus offers significant protection against flares and accumulated damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, according to findings published in the Lancet Rheumatology.