Tag Archives: psa biologics

psa research briefs comorbidities

PsA Research Briefs: Diabetes, Surgery, Fibromyalgia

Keep up-to-date on the latest psoriatic arthritis (PsA) research with our brief research summaries.

PsA Increases Diabetes Risk

Having PsA may increase your risk of diabetes, according to recent research. In a study of 1,305 PsA patients seen in a large specialty clinic between January 1978 and November 2014, Canadian researchers found their risk of developing diabetes was 43% higher than for the general population. The risk was greatest among those with the highest levels of PsA activity, suggesting inflammation may be a common thread in the two diseases.

Source: The Journal of Rheumatology, published online February 2017

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psoriatic arthritis research brief

Psoriatic Arthritis Research Briefs: Nail Changes, New Biologic, Biosimilar

Keep up-to-date on the latest psoriatic arthritis (PsA) research with our brief research summaries.

Nail Changes May Indi­cate Psoriatic Arthritis

Certain nail features can help doc­tors distinguish between psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and possibly lead to earlier or improved treatment for PsA, a new study suggests. In the analysis of 1,092 patients with either PsA or psoriasis only, researchers found that nail changes were more common among those with PsA than psoriasis only. Transverse (side-to-side) grooves, splinter hemorrhages (small broken blood vessels under the nails) and onycholysis (separation of the nail from the nail bed) were associated with arthritis. Transverse grooves were significantly associated with arthritis in the joint closest to the nail and enthesitis, inflammation where the tendons and ligaments insert into the bone.

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, November 2017

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biologic psa

FDA OKs Biologic for Psoriatic Arthritis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the biologic drug abatacept (Orencia) to treat psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adults. It’s already approved for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and for one subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Abatacept is a biologic medication that works by targeting T-lymphocytes (T cells), immune cells that are overproduced in people with inflammatory arthritis. The drug, technically called a “selective costimulation modulator,” attaches to the surface of the cells, preventing them from communicating with other cells and producing chemicals that can lead to joint damage and symptoms like pain and swelling. It’s given as a monthly infusion or weekly injection.

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