Steroid Injection Superior to Splinting in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Save

Lancet has published a comparative effectiveness study examining the the value of night splints (conservative treatment) vs local injection for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

Save

The data are clear and disappointing: despite the well-known health benefits, four out of five US adults are not active physically.  JAMA has published the new US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, so that health professionals and policy makers can promote lifestyle changes and awar

The RheumNow Podcast – Heartbreak of Methotrexate (11.16.18)

Save

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news from the past week at RheumNow.com.

Scleroderma Expert Treatment Preferences

Save

Frustration may be the word that best characterizes many scleroderma management plans - owing to a lack of trials, lack of agreement and lack of clear guidance on management.

MMWR: Death by Firearms

Save

The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) reports that during 2015–2016 there was a total of 27,394 firearm homicides and 44,955 firearm suicides among US residents, with 12% and 5% of events occuring in children 10–19 years.

RheumNow Weekly Podcast – 3 Wiseguy Rheumatologists (11.9.18)

Save

Dr Jack Cush reviews the News and Journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.  Be sure to check out our upcoming meeting in March 2019 - RheumNow Live.

Intensive Patient Education Does Not Improve Low Back Pain Care

Save

JAMA reports on a randomized clinical trial of 202 adults with acute low back pain showing the addition of intensive patient education failed to improve pain outcomes.

E/M Guidelines: Right Road, Wrong Direction

Save

Last July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed new E/M guidelines for office visits with physicians. It issued the final guidelines on November 1, with a few tweaks.

IgG4-Related Disease: First Draft Criteria Presented at ACR 2018

Save

As Dr. John Stone, MD, MPH recounted in his presentation regarding the new ACR/EULAR Classification Criteria for IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD), only 15 years prior, IgG4-related disease was an unknown entity in the medical community.

RheumNow Week in Review – The Heart Attack Report (11.2.18)

Save

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

Update on Checkpoint Inhibitor Safety

Save

“Autoimmunity is the Achilles heel of onco-immunotherapy” per Dr. Leonard Calabrese, which leaves a dilemma for rheumatologists.

Onco-immunotherapy induces immune dysregulation to allow patients to develop an immune response to their cancer cells. An unfortunate side effect for patients taking onco-immunotherapy is often autoimmune-like diseases referred to as immune adverse reactions (irAEs). Studies in France and the United States have shown that irAEs can be a good prognostic sign, suggesting these therapies are working. Rheumatology is faced with new problems as onco-immunotherapies may induce new chronic diseases in multiple different forms secondary to the treatment.

'These Results Are Astonishing': What We Heard at ACR 2018

Save

"If radiation was a drug that could improve survival in the metastatic setting like that it would be millions and millions of dollars." -- James B. Yu, of Yale Cancer Center, discussing aggressive use of stereotactic body radiation therapy in oligometastatic cancer.

RheumNow ACR Week in Review: ACR Wrap-Up (10.26.18)

Save

This past week in Chicago gave us a plethora of new and eye-opening research, people, KOLs, exhibits, sessions, guidelines, posters and a never-ending supply of coffee served in small paper cups.  ACR 2018 highlights for me included:

Update on Myositis

Save

The ACR/ARHP 2018 national meeting in Chicago presented us with opportunities to learn more about inflammatory myositis. A particularly interesting lecture was HOT topics in myositis. There were a few abstracts on MDA-5 related disease and a few on new or repurposed medications for dermatomyositis which will be covered here.

ACR 2018 - Day 4 Report

Save

Highlights from Tuesday and Wednesday (days 3 and 4) from the ACR annual meeting include: the important and impactful abstracts covered by the Rheumatology Roundup session; upadacitinib clinical trials; and the baricitinib CV and VTE safety analysis.

Checkpoint Inhibitor-related Myositis – Something Different

Save

As expected, this year’s ACR meeting saw an upswing in the number of abstracts on immune related adverse events from checkpoint inhibitor therapy compared to last year.

Early Promise for Steroid-free Approach for Giant Cell Arteritis

Save

A very small study presented at ACR18 looking at tocilizumab monotherapy in patients with a new diagnosis of giant cell arteritis has nevertheless given hope to the tantalising idea that some GCA patients might achieve drug-free remission without steroids, although broader data are requ

Pregnancy and Contraception in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

Save

A number of abstracts at this year’s ACR in Chicago highlighted issues around pregnancy and contraception advice in routine clinical practice.

ACR 2018 Podcast - Day 3

Save

Audio Highlights and Interviews from Day 3 at the ACR 2018 meeting  LISTEN HERE

ACR 2018 - Day 3 Report

Save

Highlights from Tuesday, day 3 of the ACR Annual meeting in Chicago, included:

The PEXIVAS Study –  2x2 Trial of Plasma Exchange and Reduced Steroids in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis (AAV) - Abstract #2788