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The EULAR COVID-19 database and the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance work together on shared collected data to address the most pertinent questions in regard to risks for people with rheumatic diseases and COVID-19 infection. The latest study confirms already known risk factors for more severe disease and explores associations between treatments and the risk of death. In this podcast, ARD’s social media editor, Dr Paul Studenic, is joined by Prof. Pedro Machado, from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK, to discuss the paper “Factors associated with COVID-19-related death in people with rheumatic diseases: results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance physician-reported registry” (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-219498).

Capturing disease progression in SSc is challenging. Becker and colleagues addressed this problem by identifying predictors of disease worsening in the EUSTAR cohort. ARD's social media advisor Dr. Caroline Ospelt talks to Dr. Mike Becker about the results of this analysis. Read the paper: ard.bmj.com/content/78/9/1242

In this podcast, Dr. Paul Studenic speaks to Dr. Sofia Ramiro and Prof. Robert Landewé both engaged in clinical work in the Zuyderland Medical Center in the south of the Netherlands about their clinical study evaluating systemic glucocorticoids and Il-6 blockade as second-line treatment for COVID-19-associated cytokine storm syndrome. They tell the story of the set-up of a peculiar trial using historical patients treated with supportive care as controls to the ‘experimental’ treatment strategy during these unprecedented times of March and April 2020. Link to article: https://ard.bmj.com/content/79/9/1143 Link to EULAR press release: https://www.eular.org/sysModules/obxContent/files/www.eular.2015/1_42291DEB-50E5-49AE-5726D0FAAA83A7D4/eular_glucocorticoids_and_il_6_receptor_can_reduce_covid19_css_related_hospital_mortality_(002).pdf

Statins are some of the most commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs. They act by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, the main enzyme in the synthesis of cholesterol. Earlier studies have shown that statins have an osteoprotective effect: a recently published paper has shown that there is a dose-dependent relationship between different kinds of statins with diagnosis of osteoporosis. "We could find an underrepresentation of osteoporosis in low-dose and an overrepresentation in high-dose statin treatment," says first author Dr. Michael Leutner, MSc PhD (Department of Internal Medicine 3, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna), who discusses the details of his study with Dr. Paul Studenic in this podcast. Read the paper: https://ard.bmj.com/content/78/12/1706

In this podcast recorded at the ACR meeting 2019, Dr. Caroline Ospelt speaks to Prof. Anca Catrina and Dr. Aase Hensvold both of the Division of Rheumatology at the Department of Medicine located at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm Sweden. Hensvold et al. developed a prediction score by combining several clinical and blood-based markers that could be useful in predicting which patients with auto-antibodies and musculoskeletal symptoms develop ultrasound-detectable arthritis. These are the first results of an ongoing study on individuals at-risk for rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Felice Rivellese from the Center of Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology at the Queen Mary University in London discusses the results of his presentation at the ACR 2019 with Dr. Caroline Ospelt. In a subanalysis of the pathobiology of the Early Arthitis Cohort (PEAC), Rivellese at al could show that B cell-rich synovitis is associated with disease severity and radiographic progression, in particular, if B cell infiltrates persist after cDMARD treatment.

This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial by Kroon et al has demonstrated a substantial improvement in painful hand OA with signs of inflammation following six weeks of low-dose prednisolone.

Atul Deodhar, from the Oregon Health & Science University, provides an overview of recent clinical trial results in the area of seronegative Spondylarthritis. He presented the 24-week data of Guselkumab in active psoriatic arthritis patients in the DISCOVER-1 study and compared the phase 3 trials in non-radiographic SpA patients on Ixekizumab (COAST-X) and Secukinumab (PREVENT) with up to 52 week data available.

TULIP 2: Efficacy and Safety of Anifrolumab in Patients with Moderate to Severe Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Results of the Second Phase 3 Randomized Controlled Trial. In this second phase 3 trial, the primary endpoint, BICLA, was achieved, and anifrolumab was superior to placebo for multiple secondary efficacy endpoints, including SRI(4), skin disease, and oral corticosteroid tapering.

TULIP 1: A Phase 3 Randomized Controlled Trial of Anifrolumab in Patients with Moderate to Severe Systemic Lupus Erythematosus In this first phase 3 trial, the primary endpoint, SRI(4), was not achieved, but numeric improvements achieving thresholds associated with clinical benefit were observed for BICLA, oral corticosteroid tapering and other organ-specific endpoints.

The paper discussed in this podcast provides an approach, using Capture Hi-C data, to link genetic associations to potential causal genes and assess the potential of drug repurposing in three rheumatic diseases. This has the potential to identify genes which are functionally relevant and the target of existing therapies, which could provide new ways to treat patients, enhancing their quality of life and reducing the economic impact on healthcare providers. Read the full paper on the ARD website: https://ard.bmj.com/content/78/8/1127.

The highlights of the latest update of the EULAR recommendations for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), based on emerging new evidence, are discussed in this podcast. Read the full paper on the ARD website: https://ard.bmj.com/content/78/6/736.

Musculoskeletal diseases have increased significantly between 2000 and 2015 and are now the second cause of years lived with disability worldwide, a study recently published by ARD concludes. The paper also adds that the burden is higher in Europe. “The richest the country, the highest the burden of musculoskeletal diseases”, says the leading author. Professor Laurent Arnaud and Dr Eden Sebbag(Department of Rheumatology - Centre National de Référence des Maladies Systémiques Rares Est Sud-Ouest, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, France) discuss the details of the study with ARD's Social Media Advisor, Dr Paul Studenic. Read the full paper: https://ard.bmj.com/content/78/6/844.

Find out how to increase your chances of a successful submission in this very short podcast with Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases’s Associate Editor Francis Berenbaum. He is interviewed by the Social Media Advisor of the journal, Christophe Richez. Read more information for authors on the ARD website: https://ard.bmj.com/pages/authors/. Submit your manuscript here: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ard.

A study that compares the 10-year outcome (disease activity, disability, mortality) of two cohorts of patients with inflammatory polyarthritis recruited 10 years apart is discussed in this podcast. The results from the UK’s Norfolk Arthritis Register are shared by two of its co-authors from the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, School of Biological Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre: James Gwinnutt and Suzanne Verstappen (NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre) in conversation with the social media advisor for ARD Meghna Jani. Read the full paper on the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases website: https://ard.bmj.com/content/77/6/848.

The switch from Humira to BI 695501 had no impact on efficacy, safety and immunogenicity in patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study recently published by ARD and discussed in this short podcast. Professor Stanley Cohen (Metroplex Clinical Research Center, Dallas, Texas, USA) tells ARD’s social media advisor Elena Nikiphorou (clinical researcher at King’s College London, UK) how the conclusions should have an important economic impact, particularly in less favoured clinical settings in the world. Read the full paper on the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212245.

Discordance between patient's and physician's evaluation of disease activity may reduce likelihood of remission in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Dr Paul Studenic, Austria, is joined by Dr Brigitte Michelsen and Prof Tore Kvien, both from the department of Rheumatology at the Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, Norway, to discuss their study "Discordance between tender and swollen joint count as well as patient's and evaluator's global assessment may reduce likelihood of remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis: data from the prospective multicentre NOR-DMARD study". Read the full details on the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases website (http://ard.bmj.com/content/76/4/708), where you can also find the related Lay Summary (https://goo.gl/JBQbFc).

What are the recommendations of The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) for women's health and family planning after a diagnosis of lupus and/or antiphospholipid syndrome, also known as Hughes syndrome? Alessia Alunno (Rheumatology Unit, University of Perugia, Italy) talks to Laura Andreoli (Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Brescia, Italy) about her paper recently published by ARD (ard.bmj.com). "EULAR recommendations for women's health and the management of family planning, assisted reproduction, pregnancy and menopause in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and/or antiphospholipid syndrome" is available here: http://ard.bmj.com/content/76/3/476.

Welcome to the first Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (ARD) podcast. In this conversation, Marie Kostine (France) and Laura Cappelli (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA) discuss onco and immuno-oncology,, the main subject of the paper 'Inflammatory arthritis and sicca syndrome induced by nivolumab and ipilimumab', recently published by ARD. Read the full paper here: http://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2016/06/22/annrheumdis-2016-209595.

Johannes Bijlsma is an Associate Editor on ARD and in this podcast he explains his role in the journal. He also talks through the EULAR textbook and online course in his capacity as education officer, and the new markets for rheumatology as treasurer for EULAR.