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Best of 2021: Actemra FDA Approved for Systemic Sclerosis Interstitial Lung Disease
Genentech announced March 4th that the US Food and Drug Administration approved tocilizumab (Actemra) for the treatment of Systemic Sclerosis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease (SSc-ILD), specifically indicated for slowing the rate of decline in pulmonary function in adults S
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Telehealth Diet and Exercise Benefits Knee Osteoarthritis
Annals of Internal Medicine has reported the results of a randomized clinical trial showing that telehealth-delivered exercise and diet programs improved pain and function in knee osteoarthritis patients who were overweight. While both were beneficial, exercise had a greater effect than die
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Telemedicine Upside Interview with Dr. Alvin Wells
In spite of the transformative growth of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, rheumatologists use of telemedicine is waning, much like the use of masks. Dr. Jack Cush interviews telemedicine guru, Dr. Alvin Wells, on the current state of telemedicine and what the future holds for telehealth in rheumatology.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis, Dementia and Cognitive Dysfunction
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been linked to a higher risk of dementia and cognitive dysfunction, but interestingly this association has diminished in the last few decades with aggressive DMARD and targeted therapies..
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Improving Rheumatology Practice
How to best book patient appointments in rheumatology clinic? Should these be scheduled every 3 or 4 months regardless of patient status? Should they be scheduled by patient need or disease activity?
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RheumNow Podcast - Unwillingness to Change Therapy (11.19.21)
Surely you’ve seen this or been plagued by this patient, one that is not doing well, in need of a new regimen; you outline it, timeline it, define the side effects and send them off with a new prescription..
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ACR21 Best Abstracts - Day 1
The RheumNow faculty have been glued to their monitors all day, watching video, and running down abstract presentations to find the best – several of these stood out as #ACRBests. Here is a listing of “Best” they saw on Day 1.
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Treat-to-Target Works in Gout With No Cardiac Toxicity
New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, shows that allopurinol and febuxostat may effectively lower urate levels when used in a treat-to-target approach. Importantly, both urate-lowering therapies were very effective with 90% of patients reaching target urate levels. Additionally, both appeared safe, with no evidence of increased cardiovascular toxicity (Abstract #1900).
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Negative Concerns of Telemedicine in Rheumatology
Post-pandemic structured surveys and interviews with rheumatology patients suggests they may prefer for face-to-face consultations, as telehealth visits run the risk of diagnostic inaccuracies and safety concerns.
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Blacks with Systemic Sclerosis May Have More Severe Disease
New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, shows that Black people living with systemic sclerosis may have more severe disease and worse prognosis than patients in other racial or ethnic groups, and these worrying disparities may be driven by several socioeconomic factors (Abstract #1854). This poster will be presented Tuesday morning, November 9, 2021 in the Clinical Poster III (1836–1861) section on Systemic Sclerosis & Related Disorders.
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JAK-pot Study: Cycling JAK Inhibitors Effective in Difficult-to-Treat RA
New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, shows that people with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis who do not have success with one Janus kinase inhibitor (JAK inhibitor) can achieve success either cycling to other JAKi medic
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Ultra-Low Dose Rituximab Controls Disease Activity in RA
New research presented this week at ACR Convergence, the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting, shows that in one study, the majority of rheumatoid arthritis patients on an ultra-low dose of the drug rituximab maintained low disease activity for up to four years, and rarely needed to switch to other biologic drugs or glucocorticoids to control their disease (Abstract #1443).
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Are You a High or Low Glucocorticoid Prescriber?
A recent analysis shows thta glucocorticoids (GCs), usually recommended for short-term use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are variably used by rheumatologists, and that provider preference is a strong predictors of long-term glucocorticoid use.
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RheumNow Podcast – #ACA: Ask Cush Anything (10.8.2021)
Arthritis numbers are rising, and people are finally talking about osteoarthritis. Also, ACR 2021 is just a few weeks away - are you ready? Finally, I'll review cases and questions submitted by viewers in Ask Cush Anything (#ACA). This, and nearly a dozen news items and reports, are discussed in this week's podcast. Let's begin.
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Prevalence of Arthritis Rising in the USA
The latest CDC estimates of the national prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitations (AAAL) show a continued increase in absolute number: 58.5 million (23.7%) U.S. adults have arthritis, 25.7 million (43.9%) of whom have AAAL.
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Tocilizumab and Drug Shortage Headaches
Do you know what’s in short supply? Trust, pediatric rheumatologists, and drugs. Since the onset of the pandemic, numerous drug shortages have affected rheumatology, including sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and now, tocilizumab.
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ACR Responds to 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
In comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) shared its perspective on the CY 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program proposed rule.
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EULAR Points on Managing Difficult Rheumatoid Arthritis
A EULAR task force has promulgated several points to consider in managing difficult-to-treat RA. These "points" are unique in directing the rheumatologist's attention to the potential for misdiagnosis and the impact of comorbid conditions on what is perceived as poorly controlled RA.
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