[Rheumatological care in Germany : Memorandum of the German Society for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology 2024].

Background: Rheumatology in Germany is facing major challenges. The need for rheumatological care is increasing and can no longer be met in some regions for capacity reasons. Too many people with an inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD) have to forego appropriate care or receive it too late.

Risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with conventional synthetic, biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: observational data from the German RABBIT register.

Objective: To estimate the effects of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), other biologic(b) or conventional synthetic(cs) disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Cohort study analysing episodes of DMARD-treatment initiated between January 2017 and April 2022 in the biologics register Rheumatoid Arthritis: Observation of Biologic Therapy. Incidence rates (IRs) per 100 patient-years with 95% CIs were calculated for overall patients and those with cardiovascular risk (age ≥50 years and ≥1 cardiovascular risk factor).

Depressive symptoms are associated with fatigue, poorer functional status and less engagement in sports in axSpA and PsA: an analysis from the RABBIT-SpA cohort.

Background: In patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA), concomitant depression might have a negative impact on the course of disease and treatment outcomes. The aims of this analysis are to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in axSpA and PsA patients in a real-world cohort study and to identify sociodemographic and clinical associated factors for moderate or severe depressive symptoms in both diseases.

Methods: Patients from the RABBIT-SpA cohort with an axSpA or PsA diagnosis and a valid WHO-5 Well-Being Index score at baseline were included.

[With RheMIT rheumatology centers can participate in the German national database-Expansion of the long-term rheumatological documentation].

The national database (NDB) of the German regional collaborative rheumatology centers was switched to the RheMIT documentation software last year. Rheumatology centers that already use RheMIT for care contracts or other research projects can therefore use the software to also participate in the NDB. Experiences from a hospital, a medical care center and a specialist practice show how the changeover to RheMIT from an existing documentation system or a new participation in the NDB with RheMIT can be implemented.