Mahmood NMA, et al. - In patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), researchers determined how blocking the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with azilsartan (Azil) impacts the clinical efficacy of etanercept (Etan). They analyzed the data of 42 patients diagnosed with active RA who are responding poorly to methotrexate. The results from this pilot clinical study indicate that blocking RAS with Azil might improve the impacts of Etan on the clinical markers of pain and disease severity (ie C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate) in subjects with active RA not responding to methotrexate.