Calcium Supplements and Cardiovascular Risk

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Dr. Nancy Lane answers questions about the intake of Calcium, Vitamin D and the cardiovascular risk of supplemental calcium.

Increased Comorbidities in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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A population based study from Taiwan examined the frequencies of comorbidities in a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population.

Enthesitis-Related Arthritis in Children

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Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) is an emerging subset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) recognized for its distinctive clinical characteristics.

Smoking and Worse Outcomes in Spondylitis

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BIRMINGHAM, England -- Smoking was a strong predictor of more severe disease in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA), with people who had ever smoked having worse disease activity and worse quality of life than those who had never smoked, researchers reported here.

FDA Approves Abaloparatide for High Risk Patients

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The FDA has approved injectable Tymlos (abaloparatide) for use in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients at high risk for fracture, as the drug has been shown to reduce the risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in such patients.

Best to Rehab at Home Following Joint Replacement

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A New York Times article sheds light on recent evidence suggesting that those undergoing hip or knee replacement will do just as well with home therapy compared to inpatient rehabilitation following surgery.

Pregnancy Flares in RA and Spondylitis

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Despite the folklore, not all women with arthritis who become pregnant will improve or go into remission.  Recent studies have suggested that up to one-third of RA patients will flare during pregnancy.

EULAR/EFORT Taskforce on the Management of Fragility Fractures

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The morbidity associated with osteoporosis-related fragility fractures imposes tremendous socioeconomic and medical impact on patients and society.

The Cost of Not Taking Medicine

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The NY Times points out "there is is an out-of-control epidemic in the United States that costs more and affects more people than any disease Americans currently worry about. It’s called nonadherence to prescribed medications, and it is — potentially, at least — 100 percent preventable by the very individuals it afflicts.

FDA Delays Baricitinib Decision

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Eli Lilly and Company and Incyte Corporation announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delayed its' decision on baricitinib by issuing a complete response letter for baricitinib's New Drug Application. 

Acute Steroid Use Comes with Risk

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Steroids are known for their acute therpeutic wonders and chronic hazards. Hence most practitioners are comfortable using short term, limited dose corticosteroids for a variety of ailments.

Celecoxib Plus PPI Preferred in High Risk Patients

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When do the risks outweigh the benefits of NSAIDs use, especially in those with prior cardiovascular and gastrointestinal events? The CONCERN study has tested the effects of proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) in preventing GI bleeds when using NSAIDs and ASA.

Stroke Risk Highest in the First Year of Lupus

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Arkema et al has published in Annals of Rheumatic Disease a study showing that ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke (CVA) is elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with the general population, especially in the first year. 

Hydroxychloroquine Underperforms in a Cutaneous Lupus Trial

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Hydroxychloroquine has become a mainstay in the treatement of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with proven efficacy in managing many domains of lupus, including skin, joint, and other autoimmune features.

Mortality in Gout Increased

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Two current articles in the Journal of Rheumatology address issues surrounding mortality risk among those with new and established gout.

Alcohol Use During Methotrexate Studied

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A recent RheumNow survey of 495 rheumatologists found that half of rheumatologists allow 1-3 alcoholic drinks per week and 6-7% has no alcohol restrictions while being treated with methotrexate (MTX).

Biologics Do Not Increase Melanoma Risk

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have a higher risk of certain cancers (e.g., skin, lung, lymphoma).  At issue is whether the newer agents modify this risk appreciably.

Steroids, DMARDs and Biologics have Same Low Risk of Infection During Pregnancy

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Low rates of serious infections were observed in pregnant women receiving immunosuppressive therapies. Higher rates may be seen with steroid use in pregnancy and SIE trend towards lowest with DMARD or TNFi use. 

Limited Benefits with Intra-Discal Steroid Injections for Back Pain

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A a randomized trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine shows that intradiscal glucocorticoid injection has limited (1 month) efficacy in treating low back pain (LBP) associated with active discopathy, yet decreased over time.

Cause of Death in Ankylosing Spondylitis

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A French population based study of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was report in the Journal of Rheumatology.

They analyzed the death certificates and cause of death in 2940 AS patients over 3 different decades (1969-78; 1979-99; 2000-2009).