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Pain Drives the Use of Medical Marijuana
A report from the University of Michigan examined state-wide medical marijuana showing most of it is used for chronic pain.
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Compounded Pain Creams - Expensive Placebos?
The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that the growth and use of compounded pain creams is unwarranted as they were no better than placebo in a randomized controlled trial, suggesting their higher costs are unjustifiable compared to other topical commercially available agents (lidocain
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Opioid Use in Osteoarthritis Varies by State
A study in Arthritis & Rheumatology shows that there is substantial statewide variation in rates of treatment with long‐term opioid therapy in osteoarthritis - not fully explained by differences in access to healthcare providers, varying case‐mix, or state‐level policies.
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Elevated Fracture Risk in Lupus
A Medicaid study of lupus (SLE) patients finds that fracture risks are elevated in low‐income SLE and lupus nephritis patients compared to those without SLE.
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Update on Pregnancy Management in RA
Two recent reports offer good news to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) women who are planning to become pregnant.
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No Difference in Oral or IV Antibiotics for Bone & Joint Infections
Research from the NEJM shows that oral antibiotic therapy was noninferior to intravenous antibiotic therapy when used during the first six weeks for complex orthopedic infections.
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Low IBD Risk with Secukinumab
The interleukin-23 (IL-23)/IL-17 axis plays an important role in inflammation and infection. Some of these chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorders include PsO, PsA, AS, and IBD. Patients with PsO, PsA, and AS have up to a four-fold risk of developing IBD versus the general population.
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Ixekizumab and Complete Resolution of Enthesitis and Dactylitis
IL-17 inhibitors have proven to be effective in psoriatic arthritis. Analyses of ixekizumab-treated PsA patients with enthesitis or dactylitis shows this approach to yield significant improvements in enthesitis and dactylitis.
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Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty Shown to Be Ineffective
There are approximately 750,000 new vertebral compression fractures each year in the United States, with resultant acute and chronic back pain in over one‐third of patients with vertebral fractures (VF). Both percutaneous vertebroplasty or balloon kyphoplasty have been advocated as useful m
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Multidisciplinary Recommendations for Rheumatoid Foot Problems
Approximately 90% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have foot problems.
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Improved Survival with Renal Transplant in SLE
The Annals of Internal Medicine has published a cohort study of lupus nephritis patients with end-stage renal disease showing that renal transplantation is associated with improved survival benefit, and a reduction in death from cardiovascular disease and infection.
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RheumNow Podcast – TNFs and the Inflammasome (1.25.19)
Dr Jack Cush reviews the news from the past week at RheumNow.com.
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Obesity Needs to be Treated in Psoriatic Arthritis
Obese patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who followed a short-term, very low-energy diet showed improvements in multiple aspects of disease activity, a prospective study found.
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Does Seropositivity Change with Therapy?
A subanalysis of the early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) "IMPROVED" study has shown that changes in RA-autoantibody levels are not associated with disease activity or or long-term drug response, but instead reflect intensity of immunosuppression.
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Major Challenges for Lupus in 2019
Despite striking improvements in survival among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in recent decades -- from 1-year survival of less than 50% before the introduction of prednisone to 90% today in most specialized treatment centers -- many challenges remain in this perplexing, multis
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2019: the Year of Price Hikes
In 2019 there have been numerous reports of higher drug pricing for many drugs. Yesterday it was reported that the price of insulin drugs have more than doubled from 2012 to 2016.
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Smoking Doesn't Influence Rituximab Responses in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Alcohol, smoking and obesity have all been shown to influence the risk and activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may also influence response to therapy. This study assesssed whether smoking would influence response to rituximab (RTX) in RA.
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U.S. Gout Rates Remain Steady, but Substantial
Using data from 5,467 adults in the US in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2007-2016, researchers found that the prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia has remained at 3.9%, having doubled from the 1960s to the 1990s, corresponding to an estimated 9.2 mill
Read ArticleMalar Rash and Polyarthritis
58-year-old woman with a history of hypothyroidism presents with a 2-week history of joint pain and swelling in her right knee, which became migratory and later affected the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of her fingers; this followed a series of others being sick in the household.
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RheumNow Podcast – FDA Panels Meet on Gout & OP (1.18.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, articles and FDA Panel discussions from the past week.
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