Asymptomatic hyperuricemia and coronary flow reserve in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Background: Patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are at increased risk of asymptomatic hyperuricemia (i.e., elevated serum uric acid (SUA) level without gout) and cardiovascular disease.

Use of rheumatology-specific patient navigators to understand and reduce barriers to medication adherence: Analysis of qualitative findings.

Objective: Adherence to medications among patients with rheumatic diseases is often suboptimal. Patient navigators, individuals trained in care coordination, motivational interviewing and basic rheumatology and pharmacology, have not been employed to explore and address this issue. We piloted a single-site, single arm intervention to determine the feasibility and acceptability of using rheumatology-specific navigators to understand and reduce barriers to adherence to oral disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Identification of monosodium urate crystal deposits in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia using dual-energy CT.

Objectives: Dual-energy CT (DECT) scan is a sensitive and specific tool used to visualise and quantify monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposits in the joints. Few studies have examined MSU crystal deposits in patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia (ie, hyperuricemia in the absence of gout) using DECT.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, non-interventional cross-sectional study to detect MSU crystal deposits on DECT scans among patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia.

Can Patient Navigators Improve Adherence to Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs? Quantitative Findings From a Six-Month Single-Arm Pilot Intervention.

Objective: Nonadherence to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) is common, worsens during the treatment course, and results in adverse outcomes. We studied whether patient navigators (laypersons trained in care coordination, motivational interviewing, basic pharmacology, and disease management) improved oral DMARD adherence.

Methods: We enrolled 107 patients ages ≥18 years with systemic rheumatic diseases who initiated an oral DMARD within 6 months.