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The Last Word on JAK Inhibitor Safety & 1133 Study (1.28.2022)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week a trifecta of Gout reports and the last word on the ORAL Surveillance study...
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MMWR: Booster Vaccine Efficacy in Immunosuppressed Patients
For adults aged ≥18 years who received 2 doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, a third dose increased vaccine effectiveness (prevention of hospitalization) among adults without (82% to 97%) and with immunocompromising conditions (69% to 88%), with near similar efficacy.
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3rd Vaccine Dose May Benefit ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Patients
ARD has publish a prospective, multicenter, observational study of vaccination outcomes in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies associated vasculitis (AAV) patients, showing that AAV patients may not be adequately protected after standard two-dose COVID-19 vaccination, but that a third
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Herpes Zoster Vaccination in Immunocompromised Adults
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently recommended and approved two doses of the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, AKA Shingrix) for prevention of herpes zoster and complications in immunodeficient or immunosuppressed adults aged ≥19 years.
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Weak Vaccine Responses in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Patients
Patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) did not mount durable antibody responses to the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant after the standard two-dose regimen of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine -- and for those taking rituximab (Rituxan) as maintenance therapy, even a third dose wasn't much help.
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The Overpricing of Drugs (1.14.2022)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week we discuss amputations, a $57 billion RA market, an FDA approved drug for Cat arthritis and drug that works in Sjogren's.
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Hold Myophenolate or Not with COVID-19 Vaccination?
While the American College of Rheumatology recommends holding mycophenolate (MMF) in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases patients (RMD) receiving COVID-19 vaccines, there is limited data on such an approach. A recent cohort study of RMD patients showed that holding MMF yielded higher antibody responses than continuing MMF.
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COVAX Registry: Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in Rheum Patients
The EULAR Coronavirus Vaccine (COVAX) physician-reported registry has shown that the use of COVID-19 vaccines in people with inflammatory/autoimmune rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (I-RMD) is effective, safe, and well tolerated.
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COVID-19 in Pregnant Rheumatic Women
The Global Rheumatology Alliance (GRA) has studied the outcomes of women with rheumatic disease who were pregnant at the time of infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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2021 Rheumatology Year in Review
Our top 10 list of advances, game-changers, worries and those better medical practices that evolved during 2021.
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Comorbidities Drive Risk of Severe Outcomes with COVID-19
The current edition of the MMWR from the CDC shows that among those vaccinated against COVID-19, there is a low risk of severe outcomes (hospitalization and death); the highest risk is seen in those with multiple comorbidities.
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COVID Breakthrough Infections with Arthritis and HIV
Among immunocompromised individuals vaccinated against COVID-19, solid organ transplant recipients as well as those with HIV and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were significantly more likely to experience breakthrough infections versus people without immune dysfunction, a retrospective study found.
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New Onset Rheumatic Disorders with COVID-19 Infection
The journal Cells has published a review of new rheumatic disorders following COVID-19 infection. Rheumatologists have infrequently noted such events and wondered what is the true incidence or range of possible manifestations.
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Clinical Practice Guidelines for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is new and serious complication of COVID-19 that preferentially affects adolescents. A review of proposed management guidelines is compiled in this report, suggesting a unified approach to therapeutic management of MIS-C.
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Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in Rheumatic Patients
Since the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in January 2021, rheumatologists have fully advocated the protective benefits of their use - yet many have rarely noted flares and reactive side effects worrisome to patients. Now a multinational study shows that the use of COVID vaccination in rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease is safe, well-tolerated with very rare serious adverse events.
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Best of 2021: Jack of All Subspecialties
It's great to be a rheumatologist, but boy, it's getting harder and harder. You have to be a jack of all trades. You have to be good at cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, vaccination, inflammatory bowel disease - it just never ends. This and more, as Dr. Cush summarizes more than a dozen journal articles, news reports and questions + cases.
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Best of 2021: Comparison of Three Coronavirus Vaccines
On Feb. 27, the Food and Drug Administration announced it has issued an emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose Covid vaccine, making it the third COVID-19 vaccine to be commercially available. We've compiled a comparison table and some key information relevant to your delivering patient guidance henceforth.
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Best of 2021: Rebuttals
Since the COVID vaccine rollout, more people have been eligible to receive the vaccine. However, not everyone chooses to get one. I have heard many reasons (aka excuses) from my patients who are vaccine hesitant.
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