Hospitalizations or emergency department visits for serious infections are relatively common in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a recent analysis (Widdifield J, et al. Arthritis Care Res. 2013;65:353-361). By Rosemary Frei, MSc

New classification criteria for systemic sclerosis have been developed and should allow for more patients to be classified as having systemic sclerosis compared with the 1980 criteria, said Janet E. Pope, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Professor of Medicine and Division Head of Rheumatology at St Joseph’s Hospital and Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. By Wayne Kuznar

Apremilast, an oral investigational drug, significantly improved the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients whose disease failed to respond to previous disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including biologic agents, according to the results of the phase 3 clinical trial, PALACE-1. By Phoebe Starr

By analyzing information from the National Health and Nu­trition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1988-1994 and 2007-2010, researchers have uncovered a 30% rate of gout prevalence among Americans with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD). They also found significantly higher rates of gout among individuals with lower average estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) or higher levels of albuminuria, even after adjusting for uric acid levels (Juraschek SP, et al. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2013 Jan 8 [Epub ahead of print]). By Rosemary Frei, MSc

According to Global Business Intelligence (GBI) Research, a leading provider of business intelligence reports, the worldwide market for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is well positioned for unprecedented growth over the next 6 years.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a plan to accelerate implementation of the health information exchange and to build a seamless, secure information flow that will be essential to transforming the healthcare system in the United States.

According to a group of researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, high-field imaging offers excellent capability for improved diagnosis and prognosis of spinal disorders, including those caused by rheumatic diseases such as spondylo­arthropathy.

From a public health perspective, it is important for immunosuppressed patients to be up-to-date on pneumococcal vaccinations; how­ever, numerous studies have shown that most patients in this population group do not receive this vaccination, with some studies finding rates as low as 19%.

Colchicine is an effective prophylaxis against gout only when it is taken consistently over 14 days by patients who are prone to gout attacks, according to study results by researchers from Boston University. By Wayne Kuznar