TICOPA Study: Tight Control in Psoriatic Arthritis

Save

Tight control in rheumatoid arthritis was introduced with the TICORA trial and validated in numerous treat-to-target studies since. Now the benefits of tight control in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have been reported.

Health Hazards of Fructose and Soda

Save

The health consequences of fructose-containing sugars, sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, found in sugar-sweetened beverages and foods, may be numerous and include obesity, type 2 diabetes, gout and cardiovascular disease.

ICD-10: Preparing for the Next Y2K

Save

ICD-10 starts tomorrow, October 1st. Your Coding memory will have to increase 5-fold or more as we go from 16,000 to 68,000 new ICD-10 codes. How this will affect each of us remains to be seen. There’s a lot to learn, and many wonder if this will be the next “Y2K”.

DSB: Drug Shortages - September 2015

Save

RheumNow is committed to reporting safety issues in our monthly Drug Safety Bulletins. Each month we will update you with reports of new, ongoing and resolved Drug Shortages that will affect the practicing rheumatologist.

High Sodium Intake Linked to Risk of RA

Save

Diet has long been considered a potential risk factor for the onset or pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthris. Obesity and the microbiome are being intensively studied as risk factors for RA.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated with More Severe Acute Coronary Syndromes and Outcomes

Save

Acute coronary syndromes (ACSs), myocardial infarctions and heart failure appear to be a hazardous consequence to systemic and articular inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.

ACR/SPARTAN 2015 Recommendations for Ankylosing Spondylitis and Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

Save

The ACR and SPARTAN (Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network) has worked together to study 57 specific treatment questions regarding AS and SpA.  The following guidelines have recently been published after conducting systematic literature reviews.

Dr. Woodcock Gives Senate FDA Update on Biosimilars

Save

Biologics have been a great advance in therapeutics, but at great cost. Although biologics account for less than 1% of all prescriptions in the USA, they account for 28% percent of the cost of prescribed medications.

ICD-10 Tips for Procrastinators

Save

On October 1st, your coding memory will be getting a big and unwelcomed upgrade.

Even if the goverment shuts down, ICD-10 implementation goes forward.

Below are several sources to review what's ahead and what you should be focused on at this point.

The Deadly Truth behind Paxil’s Study 329

Save

Study 329 was published in 2001, and became a pivotal study for the anti-depressant drug Paxil (paroxetine). In 2002, over 2 million prescriptions were written for Paxil.

Medical Societies to CMS: Not Ready for Stage 3 Meaningful Use

Save

Dozens of medical societies pressed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to temporarily halt implementation of the final stage of Meaningful Use, a program that rewards and penalizes clinicians based on how effectively they use electronic medical records.

Only 1 in 5 Seek Treatment for Raynaud's

Save

October is Raynaud's Awareness Month according to the Raynaud's Association (http://www.raynauds.org), and a whopping 80 percent of sufferers are not aware they have the disorder and do not seek treatment.

Increasing Numbers of Knee Replacements

Save

Knee replacement surgery is on the rise, and so is the cost.

Answering Patient Emails

Save

A recent article by Dr. Joseph Eastern of the Pediatric News Network addressed an issue that confronts all practitioners - how do you handle email from patients?

Fibromyalgia Prevalence & Characteristics

Save

PLOS has reported the results of the 2012 US National Health Interview Survey that focuses on fibromyalgia.

Biosimilar SB4 Performs Equally to Etanercept

Save

Biosimilars are rapidly growing. Many of these will have their first introduction to countries outside of the USA. There is concern whether biosimilars will provide identical pharmacodynamics, biological function, efficacy and toxicity to reference products, both in the short and long term.

PLLR - The Pregnancy & Lactation Labeling Rule Explained

Save

A recent article from Healio.com reviewed the FDA’s Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR) that became effective June 30th.

DATA-Switch Study Finds the Right Sequence to Building Better Bone Mass

Save

Long-term management of osteoporosis can be challenging, and given the increasing number of choices, the best sequence of drug use has not been addressed adequately.  

Future 2 Trial Shows Secukinumab Efficacy in Psoriatic Arthritis

Save

Secukinumab (Cosentyx) is an anti-IL-17 monoclonal antibody currently approved for use in moderate to severe psoriasis.  It has also been studied in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and shown to be safe and effective.

DAS28-CRP or DAS28-ESR: Are they Biosimilar?

Save

The disease activity score (DAS28) has been developed as a dynamic assessment tool and a therapeutic response measure for use in clinical trials and practice.