Limited Counseling for Increased Sodium Intake in the U.S.

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Increased sodium intake has been shown to increase Th17 cell activity, and in animal models high-salt diets have been shown to drive IL-23-dependent TH17 cells to cause experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (citation source (http://url.ie/z238). I

Adalimumab Drug Levels Predict Efficacy

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In a prospective study of 311 rheumatoid arthritis patients starting either adalimumab (ADA) or etanercept, investigators sought to correlate drug levels and/or anti-drug antibodies with clinical outcomes (citation source http://url.ie/z237).

Half of US Women are Overweight during Pregnancy

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Obesity is associated with adverse outcomes in pregnancy, especially with higher rates of infertility and miscarriage. 

The Unproven Use of Stem Cell Therapy in OA of the Knee

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Regenerative medicine and the use of bone marrow stromal cells (or mesenchymal stem cells - MSC) is controversial in many areas of medicine, including osteoarthritis. MSC use is at a very early stage in orthopedic research, but has been investigated in osteoarthritis of the kn

Obesity Drives Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Systematic review of the literature examined whether obesity is associated with a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis (citation source http://url.ie/z1y6) and found that obese individuals (BMI > 30) are at 

TNF inhibitors in Early Axial SpA Spares NSAID Use

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In a 2 year follow-up of the DESIR cohort of patients with early inflammatory back pain (627 patients), TNF inhibitor use was associated with a significantly greater decrease in the median NSAID intake (from 54.9 to 1.9 in TNFi pts versus from 41.9 to 22.3 in non-TNFi pts, p0.05).

Ustekinumab Efficacy in Psoriatic Arthritis: 2 Year SUMMIT Trial Results

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615 adults with active PsA were randomized to ustekinumab (45mg group or 90mg group) or placebo with crossover at 24 weeks.

Ustekinumab Bests TNF Inhibitors for Biologic Survival in Psoriasis

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Using drug survival as a global measure of a drug's effectiveness, safety and tolerability, UK investigators used a national pharmacovigilance cohort (British Association of Dermatologists Biologic Interventions Register) to compare survival rates of the first biologic used in 3,523 biologic-naiv

Utility of Drug Levels and Anti-Drug Antibodies When Starting TNF inhibitors

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A prospective cohort of 331 patients tested for anti-adalimumab (n=160) and anti-etanercept (n-171) antibodies after initiation of their TNF inhibitor therapy.

FUTURE 2 Trial Shows Secukinumab to be Effective in Psoriatic Arthritis

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Lancet today published the results of the phase 3, prospecitive, multinational, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of secukinumab (an anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody) in active psoriatic arthritis.

Microscopic Polyangiitis Associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis

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Fresolimumab (anti-TGF beta) Improves Systemic Sclerosis

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Transforming growth factor (TGF-β) is known to have potent profibrotic activity and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis a futile condition with no effective disease modifying treatments.

Management of Digital Ulcers in Scleroderma

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Currently there are no FDA-approved medications for the treatment of digital ulcerations in the United States.  Digital ulcers are a common, unfortunate and difficult to manage consequence of the vascular obliteration and fibrosis that accompanies systemic sclerosis.

ACP Backs Supreme Court Decision on Obamacare

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ACP has endorsed the Supreme Court ruling that the premium subsidies created by the Affordable Care Act, essential to making coverage affordable to millions, will continue to be available in states where the federal government manages their health insurance marketplaces.

Drug Shortages - June 2015

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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.

Fibromyalgia Update: Genes, Hyperbaric Therapy & Conflicts of Interest

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An Israeli crossover trial analyzed the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in 60 patients with fibromyalgia.

IM Residents Concerned about Cost, But Don't Have Access to Cost of Care Numbers

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A large ACP survey of over 18,000 US internal medicine residents shows they often incorporate cost of care in discussions and decisions, but may not know the data (citation source http://buff.ly/1KeLq0D).

Doctors are Unaware How Opioids are Abused

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A survey of internists and family practitioners shows that half of physicians are unaware of how opioids are abused.

Adherence to Lupus Meds Linked to Increased Acute Hospitalizations

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Using Medicaid data from 2000-2006, 9,600 hydroxychloroquine new users were compared to 3,829 new users of immunosuppressive agents (IS) in patients with SLE. They assessed adherence using the MPR - the medication possession ratio.

Adherence to ETN/MTX is Greater Than Triple DMARD Therapy

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Rheumatoid management hinges on choosing your best therapies first.