News

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…

Tapering off a TNF inhibitor — part of a class of medications that block pro-inflammatory molecules — may raise the risk of disease flare in people with spondyloarthritis, including among those with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), compared with staying on a standard dose, according to a review study. Further research…

Treatment with high doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among adults with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to a Korean real-world study into NSAID dosing. Specifically, the risk was significantly higher for conditions such as heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart…

Women with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) or other inflammatory diseases maintained stable therapeutic levels of Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) throughout pregnancy, as announced by UCB, the therapy’s developer. The results, from the open-label Phase 1b CHERISH clinical trial (NCT04163016), were presented at the European Congress of Rheumatology held…

Machine learning and deep learning are already showing promise as tools to help diagnose and manage ankylosing spondylitis (AS), though the field is still in its infancy and more work must be done, a new review paper highlights. The paper, “Machine Learning and Deep Learning for…