Inês Martins, PhD, managing science editor —

A marriage or near-marriage relationship that is satisfying can considerably help to ease depression in women with systemic sclerosis compared to single woman with disease-related symptoms of depression, according to a study by researchers in Canada. But an unhappy marriage can amplify depressive symptoms in these women, reducing their ability to…

People with clinical manifestations that affect appearance, such as those with systemic sclerosis (SSc), are more likely to exhibit social avoidance behaviors due to body image concerns. In a recent study, the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group described a new scale able to measure social avoidance in patients with SSc, often called…

Esbriet (pirfenidone) has an acceptable level of tolerability in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD), and may be tested for efficacy in future clinical trials in these patients, according to the results of a randomized Phase 2 study, the LOTUSS trial. The study, “An…

Systemic sclerosis may lead to the appearance of gastrointestinal (GI) lesions that resemble the stripes of a watermelon, which explains the expression “watermelon stomach.” Although it is often restricted to the stomach, researchers presented, for what is believed to be the first time, a case of watermelon stomach and colon.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is recruiting patients with systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH) to assess if Rituxan (rituximab) immunotherapy is effective against disease progression. The randomized Phase 2 study, titled “Rituximab for Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (SSc-PAH),” is enrolling patients…

People with systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SS-PAH) were seen to have a significantly worse prognosis when treated with an endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), compared to those treated with a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor or with a combination of an ERA/PDE-5 inhibitor. The study, “Association Between Initial Oral Therapy and Outcomes…

Keeping close watch over systemic sclerosis patients, at high risk for cardiovascular disease, with an implanted heart monitoring device may allow for early detection and treatment of cardiac events. Researchers at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom, revealed the potential of an implantable loop recorder for detecting abnormalities that affect the heart’s electrical…

A Phase 2 clinical trial investigating the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab, an interleukin 6 receptor-α inhibitor, revealed a clinically significant — although not statistically significant — improvement of skin sclerosis and lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis. The findings were published in The Lancet journal, in…