Alendronate Atypical Fractures Back In Court

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Reuters reports that a U.S. appeals court on Friday revived more than 500 lawsuits alleging that Merck failed to warn that patients taking alendronate for osteoporosis may be at increased the risk of atypical femoral fractures.

Economic and Mental Health Burden of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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A University of Mississippi-led comprehensive study of a disorder that affects 4.27 million Americans nationwide is revealing just how significant its burdens are on patients' financial well-being and quality of life. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis pay an average of $3,383 more per year on health care expenditures than those without the disorder, according to the study published in ACR Open Rheumatology, the American College of Rheumatology’s journal. 

ACR and Congress Address “Damaging” Cuts to Medicare MD Payments

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The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today commended the 233 bipartisan representatives who signed a letter urging House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to support legislative action to address “damaging” payment cuts to physicians in

Run-Walk Exercise May Help Lower Back Pain

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Adults younger than age 45 with chronic, nonspecific lower back pain saw significant pain relief with a structured run-walk program in a randomized trial.

Efficacy of Acupuncture for Sciatica

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Real Chinese acupuncture was more effective than a sham version for treating sciatica stemming from herniated spinal disks in a randomized trial conducted in China.

Dot the "i", Cross the "t" (10.11.2024)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. Today’s reports suggest where to look for help, especially with regard to pain.

Screening to Prevent Multimorbidity in Rheumatic Patients

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A population based screening program of patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) demonstrates that systematic screening IRD patients for multimorbidity increased preventive interventions and reduced hospital admissions. 

Mindfulness in Managing Chronic Pain

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JAMA reports that outpatient resource mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) delivered via telehealth are effective in managing chronic pain amongst veterans.

The challenge of mindfulness interventions is often the access, availability and dedicated space for trained instructors.

Stop Counting Bugs (10.4.2024)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.This week’s rants include the microbiome, PsA treatment choices and fishing for P-values in research.

Hand-Held Imaging Could Transform Arthritis Care

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A new hand-held scanner developed by UCL researchers can generate highly detailed 3D photoacoustic images in just seconds, paving the way for their use in a clinical setting for the first time and offering the potential for earlier disease diagnosis.

ASAS Imaging Recommendations for Suspected Spondyloarthritis

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ASAS (Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society) has convened specialized task force to guide imaging request on patients with suspected/known axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Declining Menopausal Hormone Therapy in Postmenopausal Women

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A two decade cross-sectional population study has shown a marked downward trend in menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), with an over 80% reduction, especially in women aged 52 - 65 years.

Stratified Cancer Screening in Dermatomyositis

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The International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) have published  evidence and consensus based cancer screening guidelines for patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, including dermatomyositis. 

Bimekizumab FDA Approved for Psoriatic Arthritis, Non-radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis

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UCB announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved bimekizumab-bkzx (Bimzelx) for the treatment of 3 chronic inflammatory disorders.

I Can't Treat Ugly (9.20.2024)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal articles and a new FDA approval for EGPA, this week on the Podcast.

TREAT EARLIER - Methotrexate in Clinically Suspect Arthralgia Patients

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Lancet Rheumatology has published the results of the TREAT EARLIER trial, showing the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis may be enhanced by risk stratification, particularly in anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)-negative people with clinically suspect arthralgia.

Increased Cardiovascular Events in Lupus

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A New York surveillance registry (Manhattan Lupus Surveillance Program) estimates higher rates of cardiovascular events (CVE) among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, especially amongst younger males, Hispanic/Latinos and non-Hispanic Black patients.

BSR Guidelines for Systemic Sclerosis Management

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The British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) has updated its 2015 guidelines for the management of patients with sytemic sclerosis (SSc) based on published evidence, systematic literature review and expert opinion.