ACR/ARHP 2018 Annual Meeting

Patients with gout who did not reach a serum uric acid level below 6 mg/dL had a 2.4-fold increased risk for death.

Patients with SLE who experienced high pain levels and had a visit to the emergency department the previous year were more likely to use opioids.

A reduction in risk for cardiovascular disease has been reported among patients with rheumatoid arthritis who are receiving concomitant therapy with methotrexate and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Among the total study population (N=23,953), 5.8% of participants had a predicted 1-year risk of 4%.

The researchers tallied 7 total congenital malformations out of 120 exposures, including 2 cardiac valvular defects, 1 kidney malformation, and 2 bony malformative disorders.

Statin therapy was associated lower CRP levels in psoriatic arthritis treated with statins, possibly indicating decreased systemic inflammation.

Although the incidence rate of venous thromboembolism was numerically higher in patients treated with tofacitinib vs TNF inhibitors, the risk was not statistically significant.

Experts at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting discuss whether hydroxychloroquine dosing should be more than 5 mg/kg in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Small but significant increases in weight (0.02lb) and BMI (0.006 lbl P<.001 for both) were observed over time. Moreover, a negative association between DAS28 and increased weight (-0.56) as well as BMI (-0.08; P<.001 for both) was reported, implying that an increase in weight was linked to lower disease activity.

RAAS inhibitors do not have a deleterious effect on skeletal health in postmenopausal women.