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RaDaR, the catchy new name for the U.S. government-run Rare Diseases Registry Program, aims to help patient advocacy groups with limited resources build their own disease registries. The site was developed by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a division of the National Institutes of…

Progressing disease, older age, and lower education can significantly affect ankylosing spondylitis patients’ ability to cope with the challenges and burden associated with their illness, a study has found. Multidisciplinary clinical teams should take these findings into consideration to prevent additional health problems and provide the best care and support…

With 250 rare diseases newly identified every year, scientists can barely keep up — even as the healthcare system fails millions of Americans whose rare diseases have already been diagnosed. That’s the warning from Christopher P. Austin, MD, director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Studies (NCATS) at…

Having ankylosing spondylitis more than doubles the risk of developing depression, and the presence of additional chronic conditions exacerbates this risk, a South Korean population-based study reports. Older female patients and those with a low household income were also found to be more susceptible to depression. These findings were…

Reducing the dose of TNF blockers by about half is nearly as effective as the standard dose taken by ankylosing spondylitis patients who are in stable remission, a clinical trial shows. Reducing dosage could also potentially reduce side effects. The study, “Non-inferiority of…

Overall, patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are more likely to develop osteoporosis compared to the general population, a new study shows. However, the risk is particularly high for AS patients who are female, older than 65, and have abnormal fat levels in the blood (dyslipidemia). The study with those findings,…

A six-month course of treatment with Janssen‘s Simponi (golimumab) or Remicade (infliximab) significantly reduced the use of healthcare resources and increased work productivity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), according to a study. The study, “Treatment with golimumab or infliximab reduces health resource utilization and increases…

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis are more likely to develop venous thromboembolism — a condition in which a blood clot that forms in a vein can cause a heart attack or stroke — compared to the general population, a study has found. The research, “Risk of venous thromboembolism in…

Stopping treatment with infliximab (brand names, Remsima, Remicade) can lead to relapses in people with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) who are in stable clinical remission, according to a 12-month study. Reintroduction of infliximab treatment is safe; however, it does not result in the same clinical response prior to treatment withdrawal in a significant…

Despite being rare, kidney complications should be considered in patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated with inhibitors of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), such as Remicade (infliximab), according to a case report. The study, “Infliximab-associated focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis,” was published in Rheumatology…