News

Changes in the activity of two genes related to a type of programmed cell death called necroptosis — also implicated in other autoimmune diseases — were linked to the development of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a new study revealed. Those genes, FASLG and TARDBP, were “pinpointed” with the aid of three machine learning…

Lower socioeconomic status is associated with more severe disease, longer diagnosis delays, and permanent disability in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a Spanish study showed. Even with similar access to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), socioeconomic status may be a significant factor for understanding health outcomes differences between AS patients,…

Certain gut bacteria may influence disease risk in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), with some bacteria associated with a protective effect against its development and others with a causal effect. These are the findings of a new study from China that analyzed genetic variants linked to different groups of gut bacteria…

Bone density increased significantly with long-term TNF inhibitor (TNFi) treatment for people with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), most of whom had ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a study suggests. Despite the improvement, which could mean bones are becoming stronger, some patients continued to have new or worsening fractures in the spine, which…

Genetic analyses found altered activity in several genes related to programmed cell death in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients that was not evident in healthy individuals, a study reported. Significantly distinct genetic differences between men and women with AS also were identified, which researchers suggest may serve as new sex-specific…

Inflammation in people with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), which includes ankylosing spondylitis, is linked to multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease, with differences evident between men and women, a Spanish study found. Cardiovascular disease refers to a group of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, ranging from arrhythmias and…

Rinvoq (upadacitinib) appears to be the most effective treatment to reduce disease activity in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), whether they had never been on tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) or didn’t respond well to them, a study suggests. Because the observations come from indirect comparisons of data…

Both nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and more advanced medications appear to keep disease activity and structural damage under control in people with axial spondyloarthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a real-world study found. The study, “Clinical and structural damage outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis patients receiving NSAIDs or advanced therapies:…

Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) appear to work as well and be as safe for adults with late-onset ankylosing spondylitis (AS) as they are for those with earlier symptoms, offering an additional treatment option for older patients, a real-world study suggests. The study, “Assessing safety and efficacy of…

One year of treatment with Rinvoq (upadacitinib) reduced disease activity for most adults with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) — an inflammatory condition related to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) — in a Phase 3 clinical trial. “These longer-term results continue to support the favorable benefit-risk profile of [Rinvoq] once daily…