Gastroenterologists Use OTC Meds for GERD or Constipation

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When gastroenterologists responded to a nationwide survey regarding their management of GERD and contipation, half of the 830 gastroenterology respondents (23% response rate) prescribed for their patients OTC proton-pump inhibitors (PPI), 13% recommended an OTC histamine-2&nbs

AMA Requests 2-Year Grace Period for ICD-10 Implementation

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Physicians at the 2015 AMA Annual Meeting passed policy calling on CMS not to withhold claim payments based on coding errors, mistakes or malfunctions in the system for two years directly following ICD-10 implementation.

Is Ultrasound Changing Rheumatology Practice?

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The recent inclusion of ultrasound in the classification criteria of various rheumatic diseases, such as polymyalgia rheumatica and gout, implies this imaging technique is not onlyuseful as a valued diagnostic tool for individual cases, but also on a larger scale, it will improve doctors' ability to

Comorbidities Increasing in Arthritis Patients

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A CDC report shows comorbid conditions exist in 73.1% of all arthritis patients. Based on NHIS survey data, the number of patients with 2 or more comorbid conditions has increased from 21.8% in 2001 to 25.5% in 2012.  Most affected were older adults (≥65 years), women, wh

DECT Evidence of Urate Deposition is Associated with X-ray Damage in Gout

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Dalbeth and coworkers studied  92 patients with gout and using DECT scanning have shown those with urate deposition on DECT were 8.5-fold more likely to have erosive disease on plain radiographs.

Nonadherence to Self-Injected Biologics is High

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Researchers from the University of Manchester investigated self-reported adherence to biologic treatment in RA and found that 41% of patients were non-adherent to adalimumab therapy at least once, and 23% were nonadherent overall. http://bit.ly/1KA2

Osteoporosis Induced by Bariatric Surgery

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Although the cause is not clear, women who have weight loss surgery have a higher risk of thinning bones (osteoporosis) and fractures over time, according to a new analysis of a Swedish study.

Underuse & Overuse of DXA Screening

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A US Preventive Services Task Force recommends DEXA screening in women >65 yrs and only in women 65 yrs if there is a significan risk of fracture.  Amarnath and coworkers studied 50,995 women in primary care, aged 40-85 years, between 2006-2012.

Safety Reports & Updates – May 2015

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Sjogrens Syndrome and Familial Risk

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A population based study from Taiwan shows that Sjogren's syndrome, to have a prevalence of 0.05%. The prevalence of the syndrome, however, was 10 times higher among women (0.10%) compared to men (0.01%). Overall, having an affected first-degree relative with Sjogren's syndrome carried

Men are Less Likely to be Screened for Osteoporosis

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Study by Dashkova et al finds males less likely to have their bone density checked, but suffered worse outcomes. "We were surprised at how big a difference we found between men and women regarding osteoporosis," study author Dr.

Communication Gap Between MDs and Lupus Patients

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May 10 was World Lupus Day.

RA Compliance Undermines Treatment Success

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Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston prospectively studied 107 RA patients with regard to oral medication (DMARDs, steroids) adherence. They report that adherence was low, ranging from 58-71% overall.

AS vs. SpA Responses with Combination Treatment

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Patients in a large Swedish registry with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) who started a TNF inhibitor were followed for comedication use and TNF inhibitor survival.

Comorbidities Abound in Fibromyalgia

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Fibromyalgia is a highly prevalent disorder with different studies and populations showing a prevalence of 2.1% to 6.4% in the general population.  A retrospective review from Olmstead county revealed that among 1

The Prevalence of Ankylosing Spondylitis

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A retrospective study of the national register in Sweden identified a total of 11,030 cases with an ankylosing spondylitis (AS) diagnosis (as of 2009) were identified in the National Patient Register, giving a point prevalence of 0.18% in 2009. Men had a higher prevalence of ankylo

Communication is the Best Medicine

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Patients rate communication as one of the most important factors in choosing and sticking with a physician. The end product in at least 2/3 of visits is the prescription, yet prescription adherence is substandard in half of our patients. The key is communication.

House Bill Threatens CME Exemption from Sunshine Act Reporting

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Current Sunshine Act disclosures do not apply to CME certified educational activities for either the participants or the presenters. CMS has debated and waffled on whether companies would be required to report payments to doctors who speak at, or attend, CME seminars.

Is There a Standout When Comparing Novel Therapies?

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Randomized clinical trials are needed to show efficacy and safety, and are needed to back up the claims and indications for a particular drug. The issue of treatment choice has become challenging, especially when choosing to start or augment therapy.