Is Acetaminophen Potentially Hazardous in Pregnancy?

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A consensus report from a multinational group of 91 scientists, clinicians and public health professionals alarmed the medical world last week as they suggest the use of acetaminophen (paracetamol) during pregnancy may have hazardous developmental effects on the fetus.

11 Drugs That Cause Arthritis

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This is the #1 question I get from new consults: “How did I get arthritis?”

But as the aching are asking, they are really thinking these joint complaints must be due to something.

FDA Review of Vaping Products Extended

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The FDA has again extended its decision on whether the manufacturers of vaping products can market their e-cigarettes in the United States.

ICYMI: The Greatest Rheumatologist - Part II

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Wow! I hope you read part I of yesterday's “Greatest Rheumatologist” article.  So many big names and yet, other names and stories that were equally inspirational.

If you read the comments of the part I article you can clearly see several themes emerge.

ICYMI: The Greatest Rheumatologist - Part I

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Who is the greatest rheumatologist? What makes for a great rheum? Is it clinical acumen, scientific achievement, educational prowess or years of unrivaled service or mentoring? Rheumatologists are quite opinionated on this subject and very nostalgic about their mentors and leaders. When I’ve posed this question in small groups, it’s plain to see how moved they become when discussing mentors or peers who influenced them. Thus, I posed this question to many of our leaders and mentors: who do you think of as the greatest rheumatologist?

Expert Panel: Initial Views on FDA Warnings for JAK Inhibitors

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Dr. Jack Cush is joined by Drs. Roy Fleischmann (Dallas), Allan Gibofsky (NYC), and Artie Kavanaugh (San Diego) to discuss the 9/2/21 FDA Drug Safety Communication regarding the cardiovascular and cancer risks arising from the Pfizer 1133 (ORAL Surveillance) tofacitinib study, but also applied to baricitinib and upadacitinib.

Rare Risks Associated with BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine

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The current NEJM reports that the use of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) demonstrated a very low risk for certain serious adverse events, including the risk of myocarditis (1 to 5 events per 100,000 persons). 

The Predictive Value of Morning Stiffness

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A prospective study evaluated the value and associations with morning stiffness in patients with clinically suspect arthralgia, and found that the presence of morning stiffness increases the odds of inflammation (as detected by CRP and MRI synovitis).

FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine

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Today, the U.S.

Passive Smoke Exposure and Rheumatoid Risk

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A current report in Arthritis & Rheumatology examined the Nurses Health Study II data set and shows that parental smoking, and passive exposure to children, can later lead to an increased risk of adult-onset incident seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

HHS, FDA & CDC Joint Recommendation on COVID Booster

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Today, public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the following statement on the Administration’s plan for COVID-19 booster shots for the American people.

What Factors Predict RA in First-Degree Relatives?

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Among a cohort of first-degree relatives of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), certain patient characteristics, as well as symptoms, helped predict a possible increased risk for developing the disease, U.K. researchers reported.

Booster Shots for Rheumatology Patients on Immunosuppressive Medications

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ATLANTA – The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices today recommended that rheumatology patients being actively treated with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, TNF blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory receive a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Fibromyalgianess Influences Steroid Persistence

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"Fibromyalgianess" is highlighted as a risk factor for undue, extended glucocorticoid use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, according to Wallace and colleagues in Rheumatology.

Cardiovascular Prevention Lacking in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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An increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in rheumatoid arthritis is well known and feared but an RA cohort study suggests that preventive medication use in RA patients lags behind that seen in diabetes mellitus (DM).

CDC Reverses Stance on Masks

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Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that masks should be used by those vaccinated against the coronavirus in public indoor spaces in parts of the country where the virus is surging.