Blog
Welcome to our blog! Explore educational content ranging from innovative treatments to insightful medical knowledge, curated by Dr. Rezaian, a specialist in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine.
Balancing Treatment and Risk: HBV Reactivation in RA Patients on JAK and IL-6 Inhibitors
This article, “Risk of Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Receiving JAK Inhibitor or IL-6 Inhibitor: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” by Akhil Sood, Janice Lin, and Neha Shah from Stanford University, presents a study that looks...
Rituximab Therapy and Infection Risk: Unveiling the Role of Immunoglobulin Deficiency
The study titled “Risk of Severe Infections Associated with Immunoglobulin Deficiency Under Rituximab Therapy in Immune Mediated Inflammatory Diseases” conducted by Claire Rempenault and colleagues, explored the connection between severe infections and...
Retinal Revelations: A Deep Dive into Hydroxychloroquine’s Long-Term Ocular Impact
The study discussed in the article focuses on the prevalence and risk factors associated with retinal toxicity in patients using hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for over five years, primarily for autoimmune diseases. This medication is generally safe but has been linked to...
Exploring the Shadow: The Hidden Risk of Myelodysplastic Syndromes in Rheumatologic Diseases
The article titled “Incidence of and Risk Factors for Myelodysplastic Syndromes in Patients with Rheumatologic Diseases” by YoungEun Kim and colleagues focuses on the connection between rheumatologic diseases and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a type of...
Telitacicept: A New Dawn for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
This article discusses a phase 3 clinical trial on telitacicept, a drug designed to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who have not responded well to methotrexate (MTX). Telitacicept is a recombinant fusion protein that targets and neutralizes two molecules,...
Benralizumab vs. Mepolizumab: EGPA Treatment Evolution
The MANDARA study explored how effective and safe benralizumab is compared to mepolizumab for treating Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA), a condition that typically requires long-term treatment with oral glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants. This...
Reducing Heart Risks in Ankylosing Spondylitis: The Impact of TNFi Treatment
This study, conducted by researchers from Yonsei University College of Medicine in South Korea, investigated the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks or strokes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of arthritis affecting the spine. They...
Sjögren’s Relief in Sight: Dazodalibep’s Clinical Triumph
Dazodalibep (DAZ) is a special type of protein used to treat Sjögren’s disease, which affects the immune system. In a study, patients with this disease took DAZ or a placebo (a treatment with no active drug) to see how effective and safe DAZ is. The study was...
To Taper or Not: Unveiling the Impact of TNFi Withdrawal in RA Remission
The ARCTIC REWIND study explored the long-term effects of reducing and stopping tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were in sustained remission. The study involved randomly assigning patients who had been in...
Vagus Nerve Stimulation in RA: A Rigorous Trial Reveals No Therapeutic Benefit
The study explored the effectiveness and safety of auricular vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Earlier small or uncontrolled studies suggested VNS could reduce RA symptoms. In this larger, controlled trial, participants with active...
Meet The Author
M M Rezaian, MD
Rheumatology
Dr. Rezaian, who has dedicated over thirty years to the practice of Rheumatology, focuses on the utilization of biologic therapies for treating rheumatic diseases, the study of Spondyloarthropathy, and the innovative field of Telemedicine. He is connected with the WVU Berkeley Medical Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia.