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A Rheumatologist Explains Why a Hydroxychloroquine Shortage Is Terrifying to Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

March 27, 2020

A Rheumatologist Explains Why a Hydroxychloroquine Shortage Is Terrifying to Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

‘Hydroxychloroquine is a safe, effective, and inexpensive therapy for conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis. If there is a shortage, it will exacerbate health disparities. People who need an effective and affordable drug won’t be able to get it.’

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Healio Rheumatology – Updates

Patients with osteoarthritis reported increased cartilage loss after resistance training

Patients with knee osteoarthritis demonstrated increased cartilage degradation and tissue turnover after a 3-month exercise-related joint loading training program, according to data published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.The researchers added that although there was “no evident difference” in type II collagen turnover between patients who performed high- and low-resistance exercise, Aggrecan remodeling increased more with high-intensity resistance training vs. the low-intensity group.“A direct effect of exercise-related joint loading is believed to have a significant
Olokizumab effective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis unresponsive to TNF inhibitors

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis who failed to respond to TNF inhibitors, olokizumab is effective and carries an acceptable safety risk, especially when paired with methotrexate, according to data published in Clinical Rheumatology.“Despite the advancement in the DMARDs, less than 50% of patients with RA are in remission, and 10-20% are refractory to the available treatment options,” Mohamed Abuelazm, MD, of Tanta University, in Egypt, and co-authors wrote. “New treatments targeting different pathways in the disease’s pathophysiology are emerging to cover this
Four COVID vaccine doses superior to three in patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease

Patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease who receive a fourth dose of the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine appear to be better protected than patients who receive three doses, according to data published in Rheumatology.“Currently, there are six SARS-CoV-2 vaccines commercially approved globally, and all are highly effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection, complications, and mortality in the general population,” Amir Bieber, MD, of the rheumatic diseases unit at Emek Medical Center, in Afula, Israel, and colleagues wrote. “However, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2
Outpatient COVID therapy linked to 88% lower odds of severe outcomes in AIRD patients

Patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease who receive outpatient therapy are 88% less likely to develop severe COVID-19 outcomes vs. with those who do not undergo outpatient therapy, according to data published in The Lancet Rheumatology.“We were interested to investigate the risk for COVID-19 outcomes among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases in a contemporary setting that included oral outpatient treatment options such as nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid, Pfizer),” Jeffrey A. Sparks, MD, MMSc, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital,