Sleep Apnea Raises Gout Risk

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Patients with obstructive sleep apnea were at increased risk for incident gout, particularly in the first years after the sleep apnea diagnosis, U.K. researchers reported.

Early Hip Fracture Surgery Reduces Mortality

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CMAJ reports that seniors are more likely to survive a hip fracture if the surgery is done as soon as they’re admitted to the hospital - suggesting hospitals should expedite operating room access for patients whose surgery has already been delayed for nonmedical reasons.

Veterans Administration Shuns Marijuana as an Option

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Cannabis therapy is legal in 30 states in the US, and soon to be legal in Canada and Great Britian, but the US Veterans Administration continues to reject medical marijuana as a therapeutic option - even in states where it is approved.

The RheumNow Week in Review – Cocoon Therapy? (7.20.18)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the news and social media on RheumNow.com in the past week. 

Unsafe Practices with Ambien Use

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Ambien (zolpidem) is the most widely used prescription hypnotic sedative since its introduction in 1992 and is currently the fourth most frequently prescribed psychiatric drug (2013). Recent US Food and Drug Administration Drug Safety Communications suggest limitations on use to reduce adverse effects. A study of the Medical Expenditures Survey in 2015 revealed that over 3.8 million adults reported using one or more prescriptions for zolpidem.

Immunophysiology of the Gout Attack

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Gout may be an ancient disease, with arthritis of the big toe having been described in Egypt in 2,600 BC, but only now are the underlying pathophysiologic events being elucidated and understood.

The RheumNow Week in Review –Fateful Outcomes in Rheumatology (7.13.18)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.  Fateful outcomes in Rheumatology, what happens to Seronegatives, IL-23 fails, MRI progression, Not all inflammatory back pain becomes SpA:

CDC Obesity Prevalence Higher in the Rural USA

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MMWR reports that approximately 46 million persons (14%) in the United States live in nonmetropolitan counties, where there is a higher prevalence of obesity-associated chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and arthritis.

Weight Loss Lessens Knee Pain in Obese

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Obese knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients who lose > 20% of their weight were in significantly less pain, had better function and improved quality of life. 

Canada Closer to Marijuana Approval

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Reuters reports that Canada’s Senate on Thursday voted to legalize recreational marijuana, clearing a major hurdle that puts the country on track to become the first Group of Seven nation to permit national use of the drug.

Blacks Suffer When Pain is Poorly Defined

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Racial discrimination was a key feature at a 2-day summit on pain management and the opioid crisis, hosted by the National Institutes of Health on Thursday and Friday.

Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Fail to Deter Opiate Abuse

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A systematic review of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), advocated in the president's Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan, fails to show evidence of efficacy in preventing nonfatal and fatal overdoses.

Measures of Opioid Misuse Predict Future Opioid Overdose and Death

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The current issue of Annals of Internal Medicine examines patterns of potential opioid misuse that are associated with subsequent adverse outcomes nationally.

Opioid Marketing & Meals Tied to Opioid Prescribing

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A current study in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that while US physicians who received no opioid-related marketing payments had fewer opioid prescriptions in 2015 compared with 2014, those receiving such payments wrote for more opioid in 2015.

New EULAR Pain Guidelines

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The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) convened a multidisciplinary task force including health professionals and patient representatives to develop evidence-based recommendations for pain management in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) and osteoarthritis (OA).

Elderly Often Untested for Sleep Apnea

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Geriatric patients are at a higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), yet they are seldom diiagnosed or evaluated for OSA.

A recent study shows that 56% of people 65 years and older have a high risk of OSA, but that only 8% were tested for OSA.

Will Aspirin Cotherapy Undermine Celecoxib’s Safety Effects?

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The PRECISION study took 11 years and 24,081 patients (90% OA; 10% RA).

NSAIDs and Acetaminophen Preferred Over Opioids for Dental Pain

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A systematic review in the Journal of the American Dental Association evaluated the safety and efficacy of analgesics and foundp opioids less effective than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alone or in combination with acetaminophen when treating dental pain.

MMWR: Cannabis Use in the Colorado Workers

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MMWR reports that eight states, including Colorado, have legalized recreational marijuana for use by adults and that a study of use in Colorado has shown that nearly 15% of Colorado adult workers have used marijuana in the past 30 days.

ACR Projects Significant Manpower Shortages for 2030

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Arthritis & Rheumatology has published the results of the 2015 Workforce Study of Rheumatology Specialists, and estimates a current shortage (demand > supply) of 700 (12.9%) full-time rheumatologists and that this deficit will worsen (102%) to 4133 FTE by 2030.