Risk stratification in the primary care setting may not lead to significant improvements in pain or function for people with musculoskeletal disorders, but may have benefits for clinical decision-making, the UK-based STarT MSK trial shows.

A monthly selection of topical peer-reviewed articles from the Adis journals, curated by the editors.

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3–9 November: Keep up with the latest news and interviews from the conference.

Perspective on the approval of anifrolumab and the importance of endpoints in lupus trials.

5 – 9 November: Preview the conference with session recommendations and updates on upcoming coverage.

This significant association between tender joint count and PROMS in the absence of an association with objective assessments of inflammation, “may be related to tenderness being caused by factors other than inflammation,” say the researchers who point out that pain catastrophizing is “a critically important variable in understanding the experience of pain in patients with rheumatologic disorders.”

How will the FAST trial results impact regulatory guidance & clinical practice?

Researchers have found that adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain, particularly those with gastrointestinal problems, may be at risk for disordered eating.

Serotonin–noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors may reduce pain for up to 3 months in people with osteoarthritis, but it is unclear whether the effect is clinically relevant, show the results of a meta-analysis published in The BMJ .

Experts discuss the increasing use of telemedicine in rheumatology during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 73.5% of participants experienced adverse events, most frequently metabolism and nutrition-related events (37.8%) and gastrointestinal disorders (22.2%).

“Although the effectiveness of glucosamine supplementation for osteoarthritis and joint pain remains controversial, several human, animal and laboratory studies have suggested that glucosamine may have anti-inflammatory properties, which could decrease the risk for multiple diseases,” say Chen Mao (Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China) and study co-authors in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

As metabolic disorders and mutations in the ANKH gene cause recurrent acute calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis , it is even more important to screen for these disorders in people with recurrent acute calcium pyrophosphate crystal arthritis.

In both studies DAS28 and pain VAS scores  tended to be significantly higher in individuals with anxiety or depression relative to those without comorbid mental health disorders.

The anti‐nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody fasinumab improves pain and function in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis who have a history of inadequate response or intolerance to analgesics, study findings indicate.

In addition, no deaths, malignancies, active tuberculosis, oral candidiasis, demyelinating disorders, cerebrovascular events, or cases of congestive heart failure were reported in either arm.

In this Medicine Matters rheumatology podcast, Editorial Board member Victoria Ruffing discusses the causes of sleep problems in patients with rheumatic diseases, the impact these may have on symptoms and quality of life, and strategies to help patients manage their sleep.

Based on their findings Michaud et al “suggest a regular review of the necessity of the medications being used” in patients with RA, particularly as these individuals have “frequent occurrence of chronic pain, mood disorders, [and] polypharmacy” as well as an already heightened risk for fracture and falls.