Pain disturbs sleep and can augment depression, two factors that directly impact cognition in people with systemic lupus erythematosus, according to a study that looked into how pain relates to cognitive health in SLE patients. Its researchers recommended that patients with depression or sleep problems be treated, preferably using non-pharmacologic approaches,…
Baricitinib, a medicine approved in the U.S., Europe and Japan for rheumatoid arthritis, significantly improved the clinical outcomes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients compared with a placebo, Eli Lilly and Company revealed. The results from the Phase 2 trial (NCT02708095) were presented at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2018) June…
Lower testosterone levels might be the reason behind why women are at a higher risk than men of developing autoimmune diseases like lupus, new research suggests. Using animal models, researchers observed that testosterone inhibits the survival of B-cells, which are responsible for producing the autoantibodies that…
A combination treatment of bisphosphonate and vitamin D may prevent cardiovascular disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a new study shows. The study, “Effect of combined treatment with bisphosphonate and vitamin D on atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a propensity score-based analysis,” was published…
DxTerity Diagnostics’ LIFT study supports the use of social media to rapidly enroll lupus patients for clinical trials, as well as ensuring the accuracy of self-reported data and home-based collection of blood samples, according to the company. The research supporting that assertion will be shown at the…
Identifying a person’s risk for lupus and possible need for early treatment might be aided by a new blood serum-based risk index created by researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York. The index assesses the levels of certain anti-DNA antibodies — IgG…
Early treatment to reduce disease activity and prevent irreversible organ damage in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) patients should be strongly considered, according to new study. The research, “Pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Learning From Longer Follow Up to Adulthood,” appeared in the journal Frontiers in…
Obesity in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is linked to worse disease activity, increased depression symptoms, and higher burden of pain and fatigue, a study reports. The study, “Obesity Independently Associates with Worse Patient-Reported Outcomes in Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus,” was published in the journal Arthritis…
European systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients who produce autoantibodies against double-stranded DNA — a well-known biomarker of the disease — seem to benefit from the addition of Lupuzor (rigerimod) to their standard of care, new Phase 3 data suggest. In fact, more patients receiving the investigational add-on therapy experienced…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved new automated diagnostic tests for lupus and ANCA-associated vasculitis, a form of blood vessel inflammation, Grifols, which will market these tests, announced. The two use the HELIOS system, developed by AESKU, which is the first and only automated…