by Physicians Weekly | Mar 13, 2013
British research indicates that patient education appears to play a significant role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor modification in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. An 8-week cognitive behavioral patient education intervention was associated with significantly higher CVD knowledge scores when compared with provision of information leaflets. The intervention improved behavioral intentions to increase exercise, eat a low-fat diet, and lose weight. It also correlated with lower average diastolic blood pressure. Abstract: Rheumatology, January 1,...
by Physicians Weekly | Mar 7, 2013
Results of a meta-analysis suggest that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) appear to be at higher risk for dislocation following total hip arthroplasty than those with osteoarthritis who have these procedures (odds ratio, 2.16). Patients with RA also had a greater risk for infection following total knee arthroplasty. Abstract: Arthritis & Rheumatism, December 2012....
by Physicians Weekly | Nov 6, 2012
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xeljanz (tofacitinib) to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to — or who are intolerant of — methotrexate. RA is an autoimmune disease, in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue leading to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RA affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans. Xeljanz, a pill taken twice daily, works by blocking molecules called “Janus kinases,” which are important in the joint inflammation of RA. “Xeljanz provides a new treatment option for adults suffering from the debilitating disease of RA who have had a poor response to methotrexate,” said Badrul Chowdhury, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Rheumatology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Xeljanz is being approved ahead of the product’s prescription drug user fee goal date of Nov. 21, 2012, the date the agency was scheduled to complete review of the drug application. The safety and effectiveness of Xeljanz were evaluated in seven clinical trials in adult patients with moderately to severely active RA. In all of the trials, patients treated with Xeljanz experienced improvement in clinical response and physical functioning compared to patients treated with placebo. The use of Xeljanz was associated with an increased risk of serious infections, including opportunistic infections (infections that occur primarily when the immune system is suppressed), tuberculosis, cancers and lymphoma. Xeljanz carries a Boxed Warning regarding these safety risks. Xeljanz treatment is also associated with increases in cholesterol and...
by Physicians Weekly | Jul 11, 2012
The incidence of atrial fibrillation and stroke appears to be higher for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than the general population, according to a Danish study. Investigators noted that the findings suggest that these conditions may be relevant in cardiovascular risk assessments of RA patients. Abstract: BMJ, March 8,...
