In this episode, we'll be discussing an issue that affects millions of people globally - low back pain. We will find out why the burden of low back pain is so high, why current management is so ineffective, what we can do from a research and care perspective to improve outcomes for patients, and whether prevention is the way forward. 

We’ll also discuss a couple of papers that have been recently published in The Lancet Rheumatology looking at longer-term treatment options for low back pain, and how useful they are.

Read the Systematic Review:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(25)00064-5/abstract?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_August_25_lanrhe

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In this episode Professor Vibeke Strand discusses polymyalgia rheumatica (or PMR), a common inflammatory rheumatic disease that significantly impairs patients’ quality of life, causing fatigue, pain, and physical disability, especially in relapsing cases that often require long-term glucocorticoid treatment. However, these treatments come with considerable side effects, and many patients do not respond to treatment.

We also cover her recent publication, which explores the patient reported outcomes of a trial using sarilumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the inflammatory cytokine IL-6, which has now been approved for treatment of PMR in the USA.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(25)00041-4/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_July_25_lanrhe

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This is a joint podcast between The Lancet Rheumatology and The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific with Prof Xue Li. Biologics have become a mainstay of treatment in Rheumatology in Western populations, but in many parts of Asia, especially lower-and-middle-income countries, there remains substantial inequity in access due to differences in availability and affordability.

In this episode, we explore the factors that may have delayed the popularisation of biologics in Asia, any recent policy changes and the role of biosimilars in this landscape.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanwpc/article/PIIS2666-6065(22)00121-3/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_June_25_lanwpc

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In this podcast, Professor Savic talks about his recent publication that looks at treatment outcomes in patients with VEXAS syndrome, as well as what clinicians should look out for in patients (red flags), and future priorities for research.

VEXAS syndrome (short for Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic syndrome) was first described in 2020. It’s a rare, and often-life threatening, inflammatory condition primarily affecting men. It's caused by a mutation in the UBA1 gene, leading to systemic inflammation and progressive bone marrow failure. The condition can manifest with a variety of symptoms, including fevers, fatigue, rashes, and joint pain, and can affect various organs and tissues.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(25)00034-7/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_June_25_lanrhe

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This is the third and final episode of our mini-series on cell-based therapies in rheumatology, with Professor Fabian Müller and Dr Melanie Hagen from the Erlangen University, Germany. We discuss their recently published a study on a newly discovered toxicity of CD-19 targeting CAR T-cell therapy in patients with autoimmune disease, as well as the recent successes of CAR T-cell therapy, ideal patient selection, and future directions.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(25)00091-8/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_Jun_25_lanrhe

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This is the second episode of a mini series on cell-based therapies in rheumatology, with Prof. Dominique Farge discussing the use of allogeneic umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). 

We cover the limited options currently available for people with severe or refractory SLE, the complexities in using MSCs, Prof. Farge's recent study results, and how these results fit in with the evidence available, as well as the future for this area of research. 

You can find the study here:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(24)00298-4/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_25-04-25_lanrhe

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The first episode of a mini series on cell-based therapies in rheumatology, with Prof Rebecca Marsh and Grant Schulert discussing the use of allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation for children with refractory systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and associated lung disease.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(24)00275-3/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanrhe

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Dr Bryant England discusses the use of TNF-inhibitor versus non-TNF inhibitor biological or targeted synthetic DMARDs for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD, and the effects on survival and respiratory hospitalisation outcomes.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(24)00265-0/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanrhe

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Dr Brooke Conley and Associate Professor Ivan Lin discuss their recent study on integrating evidence from lived experience of Aboriginal people and clinical practice guidelines to develop arthritis educational resources.

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Dr Mark Russell and Sherry Yang discuss the factors influencing initiation of biologics in underserved populations with rheumatoid arthritis in the UK, how historical redlining and present-day racialised economic segregation affects health-care utilisation of adults with rheumatic diseases in the USA, and health inequities seen in rheumatology more broadly.

Read the full article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(24)00221-2/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_generic_lanrhe

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