Justin Cooper

WASHINGTON — The use of colchicine for gout flare prevention imparts a “modest” decrease in the risk for knee or hip replacement over several years, according to a study presented at ACR Convergence 2024.The study followed up on the LoDoCo2 trial, in which researchers first reported a signal of benefit with colchicine regarding joint replacement.

WASHINGTON — Biosimilar infliximab use is significantly more common among new users vs. those who started with the originator, and particularly less likely among Medicare beneficiaries, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2024.The study also found significant variation in biosimilar uptake and switching at the practice level, indicating that “local switching policies are

WASHINGTON — Exposure to specific pesticides, including DDT, demonstrates “strong and significant” risks for rheumatoid arthritis among the female spouses of pesticide applicators, according to a study presented at ACR Convergence 2024. “Understanding whether certain pesticides play a role in RA may help us better understand the role of the environment in the development

WASHINGTON — Different stages of gout treatment may call for different serum urate targets, with certain levels being better for dissolving or preventing monosodium urate crystals, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2024. “In clinical management of gout, urate-lowering therapy dissolves monosodium urate crystals, which in turn leads to suppression of gout flares and

WASHINGTON — A model predicting the development of systemic lupus erythematosus, based on genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors, was successfully validated in a large cohort, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2024. “I have been interested in the possibility of identifying people who are developing lupus or at risk for lupus, and identifying modifiable risk factors

WASHINGTON — Dactylitis, psoriasis and other non-musculoskeletal manifestations of psoriatic arthritis can be accurately monitored through patient self-reporting, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2024. The findings validated a set of patient-reported outcome measures for non-musculoskeletal manifestations of PsA recently introduced to DANBIO, a Danish nationwide clinical

WASHINGTON — Inebilizumab is safe and effective in IgG4-related disease, significantly reducing the chance of flare through 52 weeks compared with placebo, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2024. “This trial, a culmination of 15 years on the concept that B-cell depletion might be an important therapeutic approach to the treatment of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), is a

WASHINGTON — Herpes zoster vaccination is effective in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis, without increasing the risk for severe lupus flares, according to data presented at ACR Convergence 2024. “We know that herpes zoster is common in patients with autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis,” Michael

Weight loss from weekly semaglutide injections accompanied significant reductions in pain related to knee osteoarthritis, according to data published in The New England Journal of Medicine. “Treatment guidelines recommend weight reduction and physical activity as first-line management for obesity-related knee osteoarthritis,” Henning Bliddal, MD, of the Parker Institute at Copenhagen

Black and multiracial children with systemic lupus erythematosus demonstrate higher disease activity and are less likely to achieve low disease activity compared with white children, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research. “Multiple studies have documented the presence of racial and ethnic disparities in patients with adult-onset SLE, including higher risk of incident