Prediction of long-term drug-free outcomes in ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative rheumatoid arthritis by combined clinical and ultrasound assessment of residual disease: a 5-year prospective study.

Objective: To delineate, within the framework of current clinical practice and criteria, the sustainability of first-line immuno-suppressive treatment discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the impact of residual disease in remission on long-term drug-free (DF) outcomes.

Methods: RA patients, referring to the Pavia early arthritis clinic (EAC) between 2009 and 2021 and achieving remission after Disease Activity Score-driven methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy, were recruited. Eligible patients underwent DF follow-up at 3-month intervals over 5 years after MTX discontinuation.

Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Risk Profiles of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results from an Italian Multicentre Cohort.

The effect of sex and gender-related variables on the evaluation of cardiovascular (CV) risk in rheumatoid arthritis patients has been poorly explored. We investigated the differences in CV risk features and scores according to sex in a wide rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort. This is a cross-sectional analysis of a consecutive RA cohort.

Timely escalation to second-line therapies after failure of methotrexate in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis does not reduce the risk of becoming difficult-to-treat.

Background: To investigate the frequency of difficult-to-treat (D2T) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients early escalated to biologic/targeted synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) after failure of treat-to-target with methotrexate (MTX).

Methods: From a prospective cohort of early RA, all patients with their first access in the years 2005-2018, and eventually starting a b/tsDMARD before the end of 2022, were included and followed-up until April 2024. Study outcomes included drug survival on each consecutive b/tsDMARDs, development of D2T (according to the EULAR definition and subsequent modifications), and its predictors.

Adherence to the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines for dyslipidaemia management in a large rheumatoid arthritis cohort: Data from the CORDIS Study Group of the Italian Society of Rheumatology.

Background/aim: Lipid-lowering therapy prescription is low in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, often not achieving lipid threshold target despite treatment. However, evidence derives from small, monocentric cohorts. We assessed adherence to lipid-lowering treatment for primary cardiovascular (CV) prevention in a RA cohort according to international guidelines.

Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Networks with Metal Coordination Bonds: Insights from Temperature and Molar Mass Variation.

We investigate the thermal and mechanical properties of poly(ethylene glycol), PEG, networks with either solely covalent epoxy bonds (single networks, SNs) or coexisting epoxy and iron-catecholate bonds (dual networks, DNs). The latter has recently been shown to be a promising material that combines mechanical strength with significant deformability. Here, we address the previously unexplored effects of the temperature and PEG precursor molar mass on the mechanical properties of the networks.