Polymyalgia rheumatica

UK research has identified a “strong dose-dependent” association between oral glucocorticoid use and CVD risk among people with immune-mediated diseases, with an increased risk seen even at doses of less than 5 mg/day.

Patients with rheumatic diseases from racial minority groups are more likely to experience severe outcomes if they develop COVID-19 than White patients, as is seen for the general population, US data show.

Among people with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and SARS-CoV-2 infection, having a connective tissue disease, but not inflammatory arthritis, is associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19, Spanish researchers report.

Patients with systemic autoimmune conditions may have a higher risk for a severe COVID-19 disease course than those with chronic inflammatory arthritis, researchers report.

People with rheumatic diseases have a significantly higher risk for developing severe COVID-19 respiratory complications than those without, suggest findings from a US cohort study.

Partington R et al. Arthritis Res Ther 2018; 20: 258. doi: 10.1186/s13075-018-1757-y

Mounié M et al. Arthritis Care Res 2018. doi: 10.1002/acr.23736

Gale S et al. Rheumatol Ther 2018. doi: 10.1007/s40744-018-0112-8

Patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis who are treated with denosumab have greater improvements in bone mineral density than those treated with risedronate, phase III trial results suggest.

Rubbert-Roth A et al. Rheumatol Ther 2018; Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s40744-018-0102-x

Patients with polymyalgia rheumatica or giant cell arteritis have an elevated risk for fracture compared with the general population, results of a UK database study suggest.

UK clinical data were obtained and prevalence of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatic were found to be higher in women than in men and in older age groups.

Yates M et al. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2016;17:285. doi:10.1186/s12891-016-1127-3

This case-based review reports on characteristics and outcomes of glucocorticoid-resistant polymyalgia rheumatica, and the addition of tocilizumab with or without methotrexate. 

Mori S, Koga Y. Clin Rheumatol 2016; 35: 1367–1375. doi:10.1007/s10067-014-2650-y

The authors of this research propose that the diagnostic performance of EULAR/PRINTO/PRES classification criteria had higher sensitivity and specificity than the ACR criteria in adult IgA vasculitis. 

Blockmans D. Curr Treat Options in Rheum 2016;2:153–160. doi:10.1007/s40674-016-0044-9

The authors determined that although several patient-reported outcomes have been identified additional work is needed to obtain a better insight into the required outcomes that incorporate the patient’s perspective.

Rheumatol Int 2016;36:897. doi:10.1007/s00296-015-3416-9