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DATA-Switch Study Finds the Right Sequence to Building Better Bone Mass
Long-term management of osteoporosis can be challenging, and given the increasing number of choices, the best sequence of drug use has not been addressed adequately.
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DAS28-CRP or DAS28-ESR: Are they Biosimilar?
The disease activity score (DAS28) has been developed as a dynamic assessment tool and a therapeutic response measure for use in clinical trials and practice.
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Prolonged Breastfeeding Associated with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
The effects of prior breastfeeding on bone density of postmenopausal women have been controversial. Several studies suggest that breastfeeding and childbirth lead to maternal calcium loss and a decline in bone mineral density (BMD).
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A Controlled Trial of Yoga Benefits Arthritis Patients
Yoga and stretching appear to be important forms of exercise for patients with fibromyalgia, but their utility has seldom been explored in patients with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis.
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Can Fibromyalgia in Children be Treated Without Medication?
The hallmarks of fibromyalgia -- widespread pain, poor sleep, effort intolerance, fatigue -- are difficult to manage and usually require medication and a multi-modal approach.
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High False Negative Rate with PFTs in Scleroderma
Researchers in Zurich studed 102 systemic sclerosis with serial PFTs and high-resolution computed tomography of the chest (HRCT). They found significant interstitial lung disease (ILD) by HRCT in 63 percent.
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Obesity Protects Men from Rheumatoid Arthritis
Researchers from Malmo, Sweden have analyzed data from 383 patients, taken from two population based health surveys with a total of 50,705 participants, and found there is a strong association between a high BMI in men and a lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
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Higher Death Rates in Ankylosing Spondylitis
A nationwide study of 8600 ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients from Sweden, compared survival to 40,460 controls between 2006-2012.
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Education of the Fibromyalgia Patient
This week's Daily Download is the fibromyalgia “packet” we give to our patients once they have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
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Shingles Vaccine Not Cost-Effective in Those Under 60
The herpes zoster (HZ- shingles) vaccine was FDA approved for use in individuals over age 50 years. However, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended it only be used in those over age 60 years.
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SCOT Study Shows NSAID Safety
Since the 2005 FDA hearing that resulted in the removal of Vioxx and Bextra from the US market, the safety of nonselective NSAIDs (nsNSAIDs) and selective Cox-2 inhibitors (e.g., celecoxib) has been repeatedly questioned, often without new or substantive data.
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Life Expectancy Rises, but People Living Longer with More Illness
Lancet has reported that people are living 6.2 years longer, worldside since 1990. Yet, there has been a rise in illness and disability,and a complex mix of fatal and non-fatal ailments leading to a large amount of health loss.
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Increased Vascular Mortality in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Haroon et al has analyzed administrative claims data from Ontario, Canada and compared 21473 AS patients with 86606 normal comparators matched for age, sex, and location of residence.
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Growth Hormone Protects Against Osteoporotic Fractures
In a decade-long study of the effects of growth hormone (GH), 80 women with osteoporosis on HRT, between ages of 50-70 yrs were randomized to receive GH 1.0 U or GH 2.5 U recombinant human GH or placebo sc daily during 3 years and compared to an age-matched populatoin sample of (n=120).
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Hyperuricemia, Death & Kidney Disease
In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics SocietyTaiwan investigators examined the Annual Geriatric Health Examination Program database (2006 to 2010) to estimate the all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality risks associated with serum uric acid le
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Early RA and the Chance of DMARD-Free Remission
Early and aggressive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has become the mantra for most who manage the disease and hope to achieve optimal outcomes - including remission.
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BMI at Age 20 Influences Future Risk of Low Back Pain
A nationwide, cross-sectional study of men aged 30–50 years (n=1385) examined the relationship between weight and back pain over time.
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Poor Compliance in SLE Leads to More ER Visits and Hospitalizations
Feldman and coworkers have analyzed US Medicaid claims data from 9,600 hydroxychloroquine and 3,829 new immunosuppressive new users with a diagnosis of SLE.
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Cancer Risk Is Both Increased and Decreased in RA
Rheumatoid arthritis patients are often said to have no or a low risk of cancer.
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More On ICD-10
Dr. Marty Bergman (see prior article) writes to remind rheumatologists that the October 1 deadline is for the date of service. If you see the patient on September 30th, but don't bill it until October 4th, you need to use ICD-9 codes.
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