Arthritis & Rheumatism

The most comprehensive analysis of rheumatoid arthritis data to date reveals that demographic changes and uneven health infrastructure have exacerbated the rheumatoid arthritis burden since 1980 and shows global disparities on a granular level.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic musculoskeletal disease that predominantly affects the axial skeleton. axSpA is an umbrella term that comprises the whole spectrum of patients with and without radiographic sacroiliitis, and joint ASAS/EULAR recommendations were published in 2022.

Adolescents and young adults with chronic diseases need special care—and pediatric rheumatological conditions can persist into adulthood. Two new works presented at the 2025 congress of EULAR—The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology—consider the training that health care professionals need to help support transition for younger patients, and the perspectives and experiences of young adults.

Regular physical activity is increasingly promoted for people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) as well as the general population. EULAR—The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology—has published recommendations for physical activity in people with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis. There are also points to consider on helping people participate in healthy and sustainable paid work.

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain, often affecting physical function, daily activities, and quality of life. EULAR—The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology—has developed recommendations and clinical practice guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis in the hand, hip, and knee.

EULAR—The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology—believes that nurses are an important part of the health care team, especially for providing evidence-based care and endorsing shared decision-making in consultation with the patient. This is also important considering the shortage of rheumatologists in Europe, which means delegation is necessary.

When receiving a diagnosis of a rheumatic musculoskeletal disease (RMD), people need a lot of information. Some need it all at once, while others may prefer to receive it in smaller portions or like to spread it out. This can mean that rheumatologists and other health care professionals do not always know how best to support patient education.

Rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) have an important impact on quality of life, and represent an economic burden to society. EULAR—The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology—has emphasized the role of patient empowerment through education.

Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) are the leading causes of disability worldwide, resulting in significant health care and social support costs. One of the reasons for this increasing burden seems to be the variability in the number and nature of allocated resources across Europe, as well as organizational aspects of health systems that result in disparities and health inequities across countries.

Regulatory authorities issued precautionary recommendations following the ORAL Surveillance trial, which demonstrated an elevated risk of cancer with tofacitinib, compared to TNF inhibitors (TNFi).