Feeling better? - Identification, interventions, and remission among women with early postpartum depressive symptoms in Sweden: a nested cohort study

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression affects around 12% of mothers in developed countries, with consequences for the whole family. Many women with depressive symptoms remain undetected and untreated. The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent women with depressive symptoms at 6 weeks postpartum are identified by the healthcare system, the interventions they received, and remission rates at 6 months postpartum.

METHODS

Postpartum women scoring 12-30 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 6 weeks after delivery (n = 697) were identified from the longitudinal cohort study "Biology, Affect, Stress, Imaging and Cognition" (BASIC) in Uppsala, Sweden. A total of 593 women were included. Background and remission information at 6 months was collected from the BASIC dataset. Medical records were examined to identify interventions received.

RESULTS

Most women (n = 349, 58.7%) were not identified by the healthcare system as having depressive symptoms and 89% lacked any record of interventions. Remission rates at 6 months postpartum were 69% in this group. Among women identified by the healthcare system, 90% received interventions and about 50% were in remission at 6 months postpartum. The EPDS reduction during the study period was largest in the group identified by the child health services (CHS, -5.15) compared to the non-identified (-4.24, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite screening guidelines, many women with depressive symptoms had no documentation of screening or interventions by the healthcare system. Furthermore, a significant proportion did not achieve remission despite interventions. Being identified by CHS was associated with the largest reduction of symptoms. Research is needed to understand gaps in the healthcare processes, to better identify peripartum depression.

The evolving role of rituximab in the treatment of pemphigus vulgaris: a comprehensive state-of-the-art review

INTRODUCTION

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a life-threatening autoimmune mucocutaneous blistering disease. Systemic corticosteroids (CS), while life-saving, have several serious side effects. To improve treatment and prognosis, recently rituximab (RTX), a chimeric monoclonal antibody against CD20 molecule on B cells, has become popular. This Expert Opinion discusses clinical and scientifically relevant aspects of RTX treating PV.

AREA COVERED

This presentation describes the mechanism of action, clinical efficacy, safety, adverse events, protocols used, and clinical outcomes. Concerns for infection, reactivation of latent or previous infections, and high relapse rate are discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

Use of RTX in PV is still a work in progress. There are many unanswered questions. FDA did not provide a protocol or guidelines. Whenever RTX is used, systemic corticosteroids are simultaneously used, albeit for a shorter duration and lower dose. Used in these doses for these durations they can cause immunosuppression. Would it be more appropriate if instead of 'First Line Therapy' it would be more advisable to use the term 'First Adjunctive Immunosuppressive Agent'?

Rheumatoid Arthritis Saudi Database (RASD): Disease Characteristics and Remission Rates in a Tertiary Care Center

Background

National Registries are essential to direct current practice. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) registries in the middle east and North Africa remain scarcely represented.

Objective

To describe a population of Saudi RA patients and to compare the findings to internationally reported data.

Methods

This is an observational study that was conducted at Doctor Soliman Fakeeh Hospital (DSFH) in Saudi Arabia. The study ran from 2014 to 2018 using a pool of 433 patients. Inclusion criteria included adults older than 18 years of age who fulfilled the 2010 American College of Rheumatology criteria for the diagnosis of RA and who were also regular visitors in our rheumatology clinics. Data were collected directly from patients and entered in a specially designed program.

Results

At initial presentation, 45.5% had demonstrated active disease (moderate or high disease activity) based on DAS-28-CRP scores, while 54.5% were in low disease activity or remission. The remission rates after 1 year had increased to 79.6% (345 patients), while 9.7% (42 patients) and 10.6% (46 patients) had low disease activity and moderate disease activity, respectively. It was also found that the female gender, higher Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and longer lag1/lag2 periods were associated with higher disease activity in our population.

Conclusion

We detected higher remission rates at 1 year of follow-up. This could be attributed to many factors, including good referral systems with easier access to biologics. We aim to expand this registry to the national level.

Increased Remission Rates After Long-Term Methimazole Therapy in Patients with Graves' Disease: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Studies differ regarding whether, compared with courses of conventional duration, longer-term antithyroid drug treatment increases frequency of remission in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism. We prospectively conducted a randomized, parallel-group study comparing relapse rates in patients receiving longer-term versus conventional-length methimazole therapy. We also sought variables associated with relapse following the latter. Methods: We enrolled 302 consecutive patients with untreated first episodes of Graves' hyperthyroidism. After 18-24 months of methimazole, 258 patients (85.4%) were randomized to an additional 36-102-month courses ("long-term group": n = 130; scheduled total time on methimazole: 60-120 months) or discontinuation of methimazole ("conventional group": n = 128). Patients were followed 48 months postmethimazole cessation. We performed Cox proportional hazards modeling to identify factors associated with relapse after conventional courses. Results: Methimazole was given for 95 ± 22 months in long-term patients and 19 ± 3 months in the conventional group. Fourteen patients experienced cutaneous reactions and 2 liver enzyme elevations during the first 18 months of treatment; no further methimazole-related reactions were observed despite therapy for up to another 118 months. Hyperthyroidism recurred within 48 months postmethimazole withdrawal in 15% (18/119) of long-term patients versus 53% (65/123) of conventional group patients. In the conventional group, older age, higher triiodothyronine or thyrotropin receptor antibody concentrations, lower thyrotropin concentration, or possession of the rs1879877 CD28 polymorphism or the DQB1-05 HLA polymorphism were independently associated with relapse. Conclusion: Administration of low-dose methimazole for a total of 60-120 months safely and effectively treats Graves' hyperthyroidism, with much higher remission rates than those attained by using conventional 18-24-month courses.

Switching of biological therapies in Brazilian patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Aim:

To assess drug switching, rates of remission and disease activity in Brazilian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with biologic agents.

Materials & methods:

Using a retrospective method, a total of 94 adult patients were included.

Results:

Anti-TNF was the first choice therapy in 85 (90.4%) patients. After an average of 8 years of follow-up, 55 (59%) patients were taking anti-TNF, 18 (19%) abatacept, eight (9%) tocilizumab and 13 (14%) rituximab. In this period, 99 switches of biological therapy were registered in 55 patients.

Conclusion:

After 8 years of follow-up, 54% of the RA patients on biological therapy were still experiencing high or moderate activity despite established treatment, including switching between different biologic agents.

Biological therapies are new drugs made through biotechnology processes that have greatly improved the treatment of RA. However, sometimes biologic agents must be switched to another biologic or other therapy due to lack of response, intolerance, adverse effects or other reasons. This study aimed to assess drug switching, rates of remission and disease activity in Brazilian patients with RA treated with biologics. Within a follow-up of 8 years, 99 switches of biological therapy were registered in 55 patients. After 8 years of follow-up, activity of disease still remained high or moderate in nearly half of patients.

Motivational interviewing: relevance in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis?

Advances in pharmacological treatment options in RA have led to a dramatic potential for improvement in patients' physical and psychological status. Despite advances, poor outcomes, including fatigue, pain, reduced physical activity and quality of life, are still observed. Reasons include non-adherence to medication, insufficient knowledge about the disease and lack of support in coping and effectively self-managing their condition. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a person-centred approach that relies on collaboration and empathy aiming to elicit a person's own motivation for behaviour change. It has been implemented in a variety of long-term conditions, addressing issues such as lifestyle changes with beneficial effects, but it is yet to be widely recognized and adopted in the field of rheumatology. This review will explain the techniques underpinning MI and the rationale for adopting this approach in rheumatology with the aim to increase medication adherence and physical activity and improve patients' coping strategies for pain and fatigue.

Received Wisdom Regarding the Roles of Craving and Dopamine in Addiction: A Response to Lewis's Critique of Addiction: A Disorder of Choice

Lewis's review of my book (2011, this issue) repeats widely shared understandings of the nature of addiction and the role that dopamine plays in the persistence of self-destructive drug use. These accounts depict addiction as a chronic relapsing disease and claim that drug-induced changes in dopamine function explain the transition from drug experimentation to compulsive drug use. In my book, I test the idea that addiction is a chronic, persistent state. Lewis fails to mention the results of the various tests, although they provide a handy test for his account of addiction and are surprising in light of the common verbal formula "addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease." Consequently, I review a few of the key findings in this response. Lewis faults me for not giving enough attention to dopamine. In my book, I conclude that there is more to the biology of addiction than dopamine, and in this response, I describe research that tests the idea that drug-induced increases in dopamine markedly reduce an individual's capacity to choose nondrug reinforcers. In one experiment, rats readily gave up cocaine for saccharin, even when they had been consuming massive amounts of the drug for weeks. Put more generally, well-established research results call for a revision of currently accepted understandings of addiction and the role that dopamine plays in drug use.