Traci Dantoni

Tofacitinib may be a viable option for patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis reported at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.

Year 1 results from the AMPLE study regarding improvements in patient-reported outcomes (PROs), productivity, and independence with subcutaneous (SC) abatacept + methotrexate and adalimumab + methotrexate are maintained up to Year 2, as reported at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.

A sustained improvement of clinical response was seen after each retreatment course with rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with respect to Treat to Target principles and EULAR/ACR recommendations, as presented at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.

Vitamin D deficiency contributed to the presence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with early inflammatory arthritis (EIA), according to clinical data presented at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.

Vaccination with heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine tended to reduce the risk of putative serious pneumococcal infections with about 45% compared to unvaccinated patients, as reported at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.

At the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, data showed initiation of biologic disease-modifying antirhuematic drugs was significantly associated with a 2.5-times elevated risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the first 180 days.

There was no association between neutropenia and increased risk of infections with tocilizumab treatment in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, as presented at ACR/ARHP 2013.

Patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis had rapid, marked, and continued improvement—including a significant increase in functional ability and reduction in pain—when treated with canakinumab compared with placebo, reported researchers at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.

Current use of postmenopausal hormone therapy was associated with a decreased risk of ACPA-positive—but not ACPA-negative—rheumatoid arthritis, a study presented at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting has shown.

Vitamin D supplementation has a positive effect on global muscle strength; specifically, lower limb muscle strength, a meta-analysis presented at the 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting has found.