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CDC Says Prevalence of Severe Joint Pain is Rising
The October 7th edition of MMWR reports that severe joint pain (SJP) has significantly risen from 10.5 million in 2012 to 27.2% in 2014, based on recent NHIS surveys.
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Necrotizing Myopathy is a Unique Form of Myositis
Muscle involvement in immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) was more extensive compared with other inflammatory myopathies, according to a retrospective chart review.
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Infection Rates Stable in JIA With Anti-TNF Therapy
Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treated with biologic therapies were at no higher risk for hospitalized infections than those treated with methotrexate alone, But, higher rates were seen with anakinra in systemic JIA.
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The Arthritis Spectrum after Lyme Infection - Something New
Symptoms attributed to chronic Lyme disease are the bane of a rheumatologist’s existence. We often see patients referred for a variety of nonspecific complaints that do not resolve after antibiotic therapy, including the so-called post-Lyme disease syndrome.
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RheumNow Week in Review – 30 September 2016
Three new FDA approvals, proteomics, cancer, infectious risk, nonadherence and disappointing clinical trial results covered in this RheumNow Week in Review.
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NSAIDs Pose a Dose-Related Risk for Heart Failure Hospitalizations
BMJ has reported the results of a case-control study that analyzed the risk of hospitalization from heart failure associated with the use of NSAIDs amongst healthcare databases from four European countries (the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom).
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ICD-10 Grace Period Ends October 1st
A year ago, physicians panicked with a new and formidable change in practice called ICD-10. This newer and more complex coding system had the angst of Y2K and nearly as much true trouble - largely because of the "relaxed" stance taken by CMS with its introduction.
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No Difference in Infection Rates Among SLE Drugs
Rates of serious infection and mortality among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) did not depend on the immunosuppressive drug regimen they were on, investigators reported.
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Ilaris Gets FDA Approval for Rare Febrile Disorders
Ilaris was previously approved for use in systemic JIA and CAPS. The FDA has expanded this to include TRAPS, Hyper-IgD and FMF based on clinical trials.
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Anti-Sclerostin Drug Prevents Vertebral Fractures in Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis
Romosozumab is being developed as a novel therapy for osteoporosis. It is a monoclonal antibody that binds sclerostin, and has been shown to increase bone formation while decreasing bone resorption.
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FDA Approves New Amgen Biosimilar for Adalimumab
2016 has been a big year for biosimilars in rheumatology.
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FDA Approves Stelara for Crohn's Colitis
The anti-IL-12/IL-23 inhibitor, Stelara (ustekinumab) has been FDA approved for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. In the last week, the EMA's CHMP has recommended that the drug also be approved for use in Crohn's disease.
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Restricting High Price Drugs - A Dangerous Trend?
Who makes billions in profits and millions in bonus monies? PBMs and insurers, thats who.
This week United Healthcare and Express Scripts announced new plans to restrict patient and prescriber access to popular, expensive, albeit FDA-approved, medications and biologics.
Who benefits, who loses?
Recognizing Arboviral Infections in Rheumatic Disease Patients.
What does sex have to do with it? Although the Zika virus infection is known to be sexually transmitted, the same cannot be claimed for Dengue or Chikungunya.
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Wearable Activity Trackers Don't Improve Weight Loss
JAMA has reported the results of a 24-month trial showing that obese individuals on a long-term healthy diet and exercise program do not have significantly more weight loss from using a wearable device that tracks their activity.
Read ArticleRheumNow Week in Review – 16 September 2016
A review of this week's news including the cost of opioid abuse, a RTX biosimilar, a new drug for scleroderma, a new shingles vaccine and a CPAP disappointment.
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CDC Reports 31 Million Older Americans Don't Get Adequate Exercise
The Sept.16th issue of MMWR reports that many Americans over age 50 are not getting sufficient exercise, thereby increasing their risk for falls, fractures and comorbidities, if not premature death. (Citation source http://buff.ly/2cPAcq9)
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DSB Reports and Updates - September 2016
Updates and journal articles on opioids, drug induced sarcoidosis, cancer and cancer recurrence risks with TNF inhibitors and biologics, and FDA labeling changes.
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Fibromyalgia - Should Internists Manage a Contested Illness?
The current issue of ACP Internist discusses the considerable dissent among the medical community about fibromyalgia (FM), its cause, diagnosis and care. This review addresses many concerns with input from well-known experts in rheumatology.
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CPAP Use Fails to Prevent CV Events in Sleep Apnea Patients
There are numerous health hazards associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), including an increased risk of cardiovascular events.
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