joint surgery

Psoriatic Arthritis Research Briefs: Etanercept, Bariatric Surgery, Joint Replacement

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

For PsA, Etanercept Alone Works Similarly to Combination Therapy

When prescribing the biologic drug etanercept (Enbrel), doctors often add methotrexate, believing two drugs will work better than one. A recent study shows that for psoriatic arthritis (PsA), etanercept may work just as well alone. Examining data from 474 people who either received etanercept alone or etanercept with methotrexate, researchers found little difference between the two in in measures of disease activity or disability after 24 weeks.

Source: Journal of Rheumatology, June 2016

Bariatric Surgery Eases PsA Symptoms

People with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who undergo bariatric surgery may experience significant improvement in both skin and joint symptoms, according to research from NYU Langone’s Psoriatic Arthritis Center.

Doctors looked at symptoms before and after weight loss in 86 patients who had psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. Those with severe disease activity at the time of surgery and the greatest weight loss improved the most. The study authors say there is growing evidence that excess weight increases disease severity and negatively affects response to medications.

Source: ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, 2015

Women Have Fewer Complications Following Joint Replacement Surgery

Although women often have their first hip or knee replacement at an older age than men, they are less likely than men to have surgery-related complications or require revision surgery, according to a Canadian study. The study, which examined the outcomes of 37,881 total hip and 59,564 total knee replacement surgeries, found that, overall, serious complication rates were low for both men and women. However, men were more likely to have heart attacks in the three months following surgery, return to the emergency department within 30 days of hospital discharge after surgery, or experience an infection or require revision surgery within two years of total knee replacement.

SOURCE: 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Related Resources:

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

5 thoughts on “Psoriatic Arthritis Research Briefs: Etanercept, Bariatric Surgery, Joint Replacement

  1. I’m 48 and I feel 84!!I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 1988,and have had Brain Tumor issue’s and surgery!!!,now I have a Seizure Disorder!!I was diagnosed with Psoriatic arthritis in July of 2015at Toronto Western Hospital by wonderful Rheumatologists there.I always had fevers and pain and swelling and awful Fatigue! Being told you have an auto immune Disorder is a nightmare..Life is hard enough without a chronic condition.. Cheers to this website. Wonderful information. Thank you!!

  2. I have several autoimmune diseases, I have degenerative bone disease, narrowing of spinal canal, Regular arthritis I guess. At 25 I needed the arthritis scraped from inside the L. knee joint , I`ve had that done twice .I have a hereditary Factor8 blood clotting disease with Deep vein thrombosis in my R. lower leg, I take Warfarin sodium to keep my blood thinned out .That is for the remainder of my life. I suffered Cardiac Arrest in July 2016 ,My heart quit 4 times I am Grateful to be alive, I spent 6 months in the hospital and rehabs . I was diagnosed in December with the Psoriatic arthritis ,That is causing me to have limited use of my hands . Every thing I do hurts my hands .Using a pen or pencil has been excruciating. walking has been painful also I walk a short distance and my muscles in my hips start to spasm. Does anyone know anything about a large pen that would be less painful to write with?

Leave a Reply to Linda Saugstad Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *