Giant cell arteritis (GCA) has historically been a clinical diagnosis (visual loss, headache, jaw pain, scalp tenderness, etc) supported by labs and histopathology.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews more than a dozen news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com. 

Several recent articles inform us of recent trends in Telemedicine.

As the legislative session comes to a close, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is calling on members of Congress to include the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3173/S. 3018), the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 (H.R.

The first large multi-ancestry genetics study of osteoarthritis (OA) has found 10 novel OA-associated genetic loci, and results showed some of the OA-associated regions are robustly found in every population ancestry studied. 

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.

When it comes to hydroxychloroquine dosing, issues on efficacy, toxicity and therapeutic thresholds may affect the optimal use of this important drug.

Following are three abstracts presented during the meeting that address these topics.

ACR22 Convergence left us bountiful with information from all over the world. Here are a few of my personal highlights and key takeaways. 

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) is associated with increased risk of lung, ovarian, colorectal, lymphoma, breast, and naso-pharyngeal cancers, often within three years of disease onset. At ACR22, plenary abstract 0002, Oldroyd, et al, reviewed the 18 recommendations provided by the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) steering committee.

The exact role of diet, physical activity, and stress management in the management of RA has long been debated. While reasonable evidence has supported the importance of physical activity in patients with RA, its capacity to reduce disease activity via conventional measures such as DAS28 was less well delineated.

Discussions regarding family planning, contraception, and pregnancy should be approached at each clinic visit to ensure providers understand patients’ personal goals. These conversations have the potential to decrease the risk of unplanned pregnancies. However, rheumatologists may need to manage unplanned pregnancies and the impacts of accidental teratogenic exposure.