In a nutshell This review discusses the choice of second-line treatment when patients fail to respond to a first tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-inhibitor in rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Common treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as tumor necrosis factor...
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Standard versus biological combination therapy for rheumatoid arthritis
In a nutshell This study reported the 2-year outcomes of a previous trial of conventional (addition of sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine) versus biological (addition of infliximab) treatment in patients who failed initial methotrexate treatment. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that typically...
Read MoreLong-term safety of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis
In a nutshell This study evaluated the long-term safety of rituximab (Rituxan) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is known to be associated with an increased risk of serious infections, heart attacks and the development of certain cancers. It has been further suggested that the immune-modifying...
Read MoreUpdated recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis
In a nutshell This article presents the latest (2013) recommendations of the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) for management of rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common form of chronic inflammatory arthritis (inflammation of the joints) and often results in joint damage and physical...
Read MoreGenetic predictors of response to treatment in RA patients
In a nutshell This review evaluated recent research into genetic predictors of response to treatments with methotrexate (MTX) and TNF-blocking agents. Some background The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is based on drugs which modify the behavior of the immune system and reduce the extent of inflammation. Methotrexate (MTX), a commonly used...
Read MoreRituximab and methotrexate in early RA: 2-year results
In a nutshell This study evaluates the outcomes associated with 2 years of treatment with rituximab + methotrexate versus methotrexate alone in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that typically affects the small joints in the hands and feet. It is an autoimmune disorder,...
Read MoreAchieving stable low disease activity with adalimumab plus methotrexate
In a nutshell This trial compared the efficacy of 2 treatment regimens: methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy versus dual therapy of MTX plus biological drug in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues, in...
Read MoreA new biologic therapy for RA patients who failed methotrexate
In a nutshell This study evaluated the safety and efficiency of a range of doses of tabalumab in alleviating the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that results in inflammation, pain and damage to joints. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s own cells are attacked and...
Read MoreHide and Go Seek…Continues: Prevalence
Deep Breathing Time Again… We’re about to seek the answer to another of the numbers that health and medical professionals use daily from statistics. Are you ready? Here it goes… What does Prevalence Rate in Statistics Mean? The prevalence rate is the total number of cases of a disease in a specific population divided by the total number of people...
Read MoreCount to 10… then Hide: Incidence! Understanding Statistics
Ready to play Hide and Seek? Or are you just ready to hide? Most people feel like hiding when faced with the numbers that health and medical professionals use daily, statistics. So we’re going to start slowly and cover different mathematical concepts you might have heard. This will be a series of posts so if there are any math concepts that you...
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