Patients with rheumatoid arthritis should be up to date with routine vaccinations before beginning treatment with biologic medicines. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints, causing pain and disability. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis naturally have an increased risk of developing infections due to the underlying disease, as well as […]
Category: Rheumatoid arthritis
There may be a potential window of opportunity for early treatment in rheumatoid arthritis
The concept of ‘early’ treatment in rheumatoid arthritis has become increasingly popular, but up until now there has been no evidence for how long the window for early treatment is open. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints, causing pain and disability. Many studies have suggested that treatment and […]
Tocilizumab may increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, but not the most damaging type of cholesterol
Some medicines used to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis may alter the balance of lipids and cholesterol in the blood. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints, causing pain and disability. People with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as heart […]
Systemic treatments for inflammatory disease may protect against cardiovascular risks such as stroke
Some medicines used to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis might help to protect patients against cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks or stroke. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic inflammatory conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis affect the joints, and psoriasis affects the skin. All three […]
Disease activity is a better measure than physical function in late RA
Doctors use measures in long-term diseases like rheumatoid arthritis to assess how well patients are doing, and if their disease is getting worse. These measures can help doctors to decide if medicines are working, and if patients are receiving the right treatment. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects a person’s joints, […]
Heart risks raised for people with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or RA
A link between psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis and a higher chance of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious heart and circulation problems is confirmed in a detailed new study. INTRODUCTION At first glance psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis (arthritis caused by psoriasis), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) don’t seem to have much in common with heart […]
RA patients more likely to stick with etanercept than with other TNF inhibitors
Etanercept seems to be the TNF inhibitor of choice over time for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In a large Swedish study lasting five years people were less likely to switch from etanercept than from infliximab or adalimumab. This doesn’t mean that etanercept is more effective, it just means that some patients find it works […]
Abatacept slows development of early-stage RA
Abatacept and methotrexate may work better at slowing the development of early-stage rheumatoid arthritis than methotrexate alone. INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that causes inflamed (swollen) joints. The inflammation may eventually damage the cartilage and bone. Many doctors believe that there is a narrow ’window of opportunity’ to stop the progress of the disease when it […]
People with RA doing better today than in the 1990s
People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) – particularly women – have less pain, less fatigue, and better physical function today than they did in the mid-1990s, a large study from Norway suggests. INTRODUCTION Over the last 20 years, treatment options for RA have expanded with the introduction of TNF inhibitors and other new types of DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic […]
Being overweight at diagnosis could mean worse RA prognosis
People who are overweight or obese when diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be less likely than those of a normal weight to improve with medication, according to research from Sweden. INTRODUCTION The link between a person’s weight and their RA symptoms is not simple. We know that having excess body fat can affect how the body’s […]
