Nur Azizah Allameen , Yi Wye Lai , Guojie Lian , Tyrik Zhen-Yuan Lee , Saranya Selvakumaran , Rachel Yuet Teng Tan , Chuanhui Xu
{"title":"Physiotherapy and occupational therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: Bridging functional and comorbidity gaps","authors":"Nur Azizah Allameen , Yi Wye Lai , Guojie Lian , Tyrik Zhen-Yuan Lee , Saranya Selvakumaran , Rachel Yuet Teng Tan , Chuanhui Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease affecting a significant portion of the global population. Despite advancements in pharmacological treatments, the management of RA remains complex, particularly in regard to comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) are non-pharmacological approaches that play a critical role in the management of RA. This review explores the impact of PT and OT in improving joint function, reducing pain and fatigue, and enhancing the overall quality of life in RA patients. It also addresses the role of these therapies in managing RA-related comorbidities, with an emphasis on exercise therapy, manual techniques, patient education and emerging digital interventions. Evidence supports the inclusion of tailored exercise regimens, such as cardiorespiratory training, resistance exercises and neuromotor activities, as vital components of RA management. By incorporating PT and OT, healthcare providers can better address the multifaceted needs of RA patients, complementing pharmacological treatments and improving long-term outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"39 1","pages":"Article 102032"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142916194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marcelo Neto , Beatriz Mendes , Fernando Albuquerque , José António P. da Silva
{"title":"Novel biomarkers in RA: Implication for diagnosis, prognosis, and personalised treatment","authors":"Marcelo Neto , Beatriz Mendes , Fernando Albuquerque , José António P. da Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the past decades our understanding of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis has improved remarkably and major breakthroughs in the treatment of RA were made with the advent of numerous targeted therapies and new treatment strategies. Despite these advances, several unmet needs remain, namely in achieving earlier and more accurate diagnosis, monitoring disease activity, predicting disease prognosis and optimizing treatment.</div><div>To address these gaps, recent research has focused on identifying biomarkers that may enhance diagnostic precision, predict disease prognosis, and optimize treatment strategies.</div><div>In this narrative review we will describe recent developments in RA biomarkers with demonstrated or promising clinical relevance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"39 1","pages":"Article 102021"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142645113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A review on the epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis: An update and trends from current literature","authors":"Perpetual Uke , Ajesh Maharaj , Adewale Adebajo","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2025.102036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2025.102036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, chronic autoimmune disease affecting mainly the joints, often with extra articular manifestations. This review provides an update on RA epidemiological trends and management.</div><div>PubMed and EMBASE were searched from 2014 to 2024 using rheumatoid arthritis as keyword, combined with incidence, prevalence, diagnosis, classification, and management. Emphasis was on papers published in the past 5 years.</div><div>Globally, the age-standardised prevalence and incidence rate (ASPR and ASIR) of RA increased with varying figures. The ASPR increased by 0.37%, 14.1%, and 6.4% from 1990 to 2019, 2020 and 2017 respectively; and 9% from 1980 to 2019. The ASIR increased by 0.3% and 8.2% from 1990 to 2019 and 2017 respectively; the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) figures increased 0.12% and decreased 0.36% in the same period from different authors. Reduction in ASIR were reported while ASPR varies. Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) remain the cornerstone of treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"39 1","pages":"Article 102036"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143411469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Management of pregnant with rheumatoid arthritis: Preconception care, pregnancy and lactation strategies, and maternal-fetal outcomes","authors":"Takehiro Nakai , Sho Fukui , Hiroki Ozawa , Ayako Kitada , Masato Okada , Mitsumasa Kishimoto","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102022","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that can affect women of reproductive age. In recent decades, significant advances have been made in the development of new medications, including biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. Women with RA are prone to infertility, with 42% experiencing a time to pregnancy exceeding 12 months. High disease activity, as well as the use of high-dose glucocorticoids and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), are associated with infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Additionally, some medications, such as methotrexate, are linked to teratogenicity, highlighting the importance of providing preconception care in everyday practice.</div><div>Recent advancements in reproductive care have improved our ability to manage RA during pregnancy, leading to better pregnancy outcomes. In this review, we summarize key aspects of fertility care, pregnancy and lactation management, including medication strategies, neonatal vaccination, and long-term outcomes for offspring born to mothers with RA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"39 1","pages":"Article 102022"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142689582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis, including comorbidities, complications, and long-term follow-up","authors":"Durga Prasanna Misra","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Symmetric inflammatory polyarthritis is the most prominent manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, RA can practically affect any organ system, whether hematologic, neurological, cardiac, lung, skin, eyes, or kidneys. Systemic involvement in RA can be severe when there is interstitial lung disease, scleritis, amyloidosis, pure red cell aplasia, or myelodysplasia. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with RA with a similar cardiovascular risk to that with diabetes mellitus. Patients with RA are at an increased risk of infections or osteoporosis, largely due to treatment-related etiologies. Rheumatoid vasculitis is a devastating long-term complication of RA which is fortunately becoming rarer over time due to better disease activity control. While the risk of mortality overall seems to be reducing over time, the excess mortality risk with RA compared with the general population persists. Fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and physical inactivity remain important comorbidities associated with RA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"39 1","pages":"Article 102020"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142569912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Highlights of advancement in Rheumatoid Arthritis research and clinical practice","authors":"Jing He , Ajesh Basantharan Maharaj","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2025.102040","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2025.102040","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"39 1","pages":"Article 102040"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143442502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Utility of polygenic risk scores to aid in the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases","authors":"Lucía Santiago-Lamelas , Raquel Dos Santos-Sobrín , Ángel Carracedo , Patricia Castro-Santos , Roberto Díaz-Peña","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.101973","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.101973","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span>Rheumatic diseases (RDs) are characterized by autoimmunity and autoinflammation and are recognized as complex due to the interplay of multiple </span>genetic<span>, environmental, and lifestyle factors in their pathogenesis. The rapid advancement of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) has enabled the identification of numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms<span> (SNPs) associated with RD susceptibility. Based on these SNPs, polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have emerged as promising tools for quantifying genetic risk in this disease group. This chapter reviews the current status of PRSs in assessing the risk of RDs and discusses their potential to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of these complex diseases through their ability to discriminate among different RDs. PRSs demonstrate a high discriminatory capacity for various RDs and show potential clinical utility. As GWASs continue to evolve, PRSs are expected to enable more precise risk stratification by integrating genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, thereby refining individual risk predictions and advancing disease management strategies.</span></span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"38 4","pages":"Article 101973"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141602126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seema D. Sharma , Shek H. Leung , Sebastien Viatte
{"title":"Genetics of rheumatoid arthritis","authors":"Seema D. Sharma , Shek H. Leung , Sebastien Viatte","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.101968","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.101968","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the past four decades, a plethora of genetic association studies have been carried out in cohorts of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These studies have highlighted key aspects of disease pathogenesis and suggested causal mechanisms. In this review, we discuss major advances in our understanding of the genetic architecture of rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility, severity and treatment response and explain how genetics supports current models of disease pathogenesis and outcome. We outline future research directions, like Mendelian randomisation, and present a number of potential avenues for clinical translation, including risk and outcome prediction, patient stratification into treatment response groups and pharmacological applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"38 4","pages":"Article 101968"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141494185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Insights into the genetic landscape of systemic sclerosis","authors":"Ali El-Halwagi, Sandeep K. Agarwal","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.101981","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.101981","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease that clinically manifests as progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Autoimmunity and endothelial dysfunction play important roles in the development of SSc but the causes of SSc remain unknown. Accumulating evidence, first from familial aggregation studies and subsequently from candidate gene association studies and genome wide association studies underscore the crucial contributions of genetics to the development of SSc. The identification of polymorphisms in the HLA region as well as non-HLA loci is important for understanding the risks of developing SSc but can also provide important pathogenic insight in SSc. While not translating into clinic practice yet, understanding the genetic landscape of SSc will hopefully assist in the diagnosis and management of patients with and/or at risk of developing SSc in the future. Herein we review the studies that investigate genetic risks of SSc susceptibility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"38 4","pages":"Article 101981"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141789824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preface to genomics of rheumatic disease","authors":"Anne Barton, Proton Rahman","doi":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.berh.2024.102005","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50983,"journal":{"name":"Best Practice & Research in Clinical Rheumatology","volume":"38 4","pages":"Article 102005"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142300236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}