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Top Medical News
Tuberculosis (TB) is an important adverse event associated with the use of biologics, especially antitumour necrosis factor, in the management of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases, according to a study. Prophylaxis can effectively reduce the risk in patients testing positive for latent TB at screening.
Aerobic fitness programmes do not confer added benefits for either disease activity or physical function and biological parameters compared with standard physiotherapy in the management of patients with axial spondyloarthritis, a study has found.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease control appears to be better with continued 4-mg baricitinib treatment than with a 2-mg dose step-down approach, according to substudy data from the ongoing phase III RA-BEYOND extension trial.
A novel light therapy which combines infrared, red and violet light emitted through LEDs* appears safe and improves the conditions of finger ulcers in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a pilot study shows.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) appear to be at greater risk of developing hyperuricaemia or gout in the first year after diagnosis of OSA, regardless of body mass index, according to a study.
A recent study has shown an association between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and increased prevalence of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy independent of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Such association supports the indication for thorough CVD risk assessment in AS patients.
Treatment with either anakinra or tocilizumab results in minimal disease activity in a significant number of patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a recent study has shown. Response to treatment appears to be similar despite better adherence observed with tocilizumab.
Special Reports
With the objective of establishing a Malaysian consensus on the use of topical NSAIDs in the management of musculoskeletal pain, this meeting brought together experts from various backgrounds, ie, rheumatology, pharmacy, orthopaedics and general medicine. At the meeting, Dr Mary Suma Cardosa delivered a talk on the pathophysiology and effective management of pain, while the lecture by Dr Yeap Swan Sim focused on the management of musculoskeletal and soft-tissue pain. This article presents excerpts from the expert meeting and features the consensus statements agreed during the meeting.
At the 47th Annual Scientific Meeting/Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Orthopaedic Association, Dr Algis Jovaisas discussed important clinical considerations when it comes to choosing between nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (nsNSAIDs) and selective COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs) for the management of acute pain.
At the recent launch of Nurofen® Express by Reckitt Benckiser Malaysia, Ms Joyce McSwan spoke on the importance of managing tension-type headache (TTH), highlighting the roles of drug and non-drug approaches in improving treatment outcomes.
At the International Osteoporosis Foundation Regionals – 6th Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting in Singapore, Professor Olivier Bruyère shared about the algorithm for the management of knee OA by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO). MIMS Doctor also spoke to Professor Jean-Yves Reginster, president of ESCEO about this algorithm and the role of SYSADOAs in the control of pain and prevention of disease progression.
At the 17th Malaysian Society of Rheumatology/Singapore Society of Rheumatology Workshop, Associate Professor Susanna Proudman, a senior consultant in rheumatology from Australia, shared with the audience on the diagnosis and management of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), with a focus on systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related PAH.
Conference Reports
The human anti-interleukin (IL)-1β monoclonal antibody canakinumab continued to show optimal control of disease activity (ie, one or no new flare, no uptitration) in patients with colchicine-resistant familial Mediterranean fever (crFMF), TNF* receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), and hyper IgD** syndrome (HIDS)/mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) after 112 weeks, according to results from the fourth phase of the CLUSTER*** trial presented at EULAR 2018.
Treatment with the immunomodulatory agent canakinumab reduces the risk of gout flares by more than half in patients with atherosclerosis, according to the post hoc analysis of the CANTOS* trial.
More than half of the increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk associated with osteoarthritis can be attributed to the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), suggests a study presented at the EULAR 2018 Congress.
Pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to have premature delivery or baby of low birth weight compared with women without RA, according to a study presented at EULAR 2018.
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a similar incidence of cancer regardless of whether they are treated with tocilizumab or tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, according to a study presented at EULAR 2018.
Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) derived a greater benefit from tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in terms of less radiographic progression when they also took non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), suggests a cohort study presented at the EULAR 2018 Congress.
Although majority of Takayasu arteritis (TA) pregnancies are uneventful and have favourable foetal and maternal outcomes, pregnant TA patients with active disease are at increased risk of developing maternal complications, particularly cardiovascular events, according to a study presented at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Congress 2018.
