Opioid Use in Ankylosing Spondylitis

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A prospective study has shown that ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients often require narcotic analgesics to manage pain unresponsive to antiinflammatory therapies.

15% of Users Exceed Recommended OTC NSAID Dosing

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New data shows that nearly 15 percent of adult ibuprofen users exceed the maximum recommended dose of ibuprofen or other NSAIDs in a one-week period. 

Teriparatide Superior to Risedronate in the VERO Trial

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Lancet reports that in a study teriparatide with risedronate, post-menopausal women with severe osteoporosis had significantly fewer new vertebral and clinical fractures on teriparatide comared to those receiving risedronate.

Two Types of Osteoarthritis Based on Cartilage Studies

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A report from Annals of Rheumatic Diseases suggests that osteoarthritis (OA) may be two distinct diseases based on genetic studies of articular cartilage. (Citation source: https://buff.ly/2mNtUsL).

New Rise in Hip Fractures Amongst Women

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Reuters reports that the incidence of hip fractures in older women in the U.S. is rising after more than a decade of decline, according to a large new study of Medicare recipients.

Ibuprofen’s Anti-androgenic Effect May Result in Hypogonadism in Males

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PNAS reports use of ibuprofen by males may result in antiandrogen effects that may contribute to adult male reproductive problems.

40% of Arthritis Patients Fail to Receive Exercise Guidance

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The latest issue of CDC’s MMWR reports that exercise counseling among arthritis patients increased from 52% to 61% (2002 to 2014); hence ~40% do not receive health care provider counseling, suggesting the need for provider education and training in exercise counseling, and improved electroni

Cannibis Weakly Effective in Neuropathic Pain

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The medical use of cannabis is often extended to management of chronic pain and neuropathic pain.

A metanalysis of 27 chronic pain trials show that there is low-strength evidence that cannabis alleviates neuropathic pain but insufficient evidence in other pain populations.

AASM Guidelines for Sleep Apnea Testing

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A task force from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) performed a systematic review of the scientific literature on obstructive sleep apnea and screening tests.

Fibromyalgia Diagnosed by Two Simple Tests

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Researchers from the Oregon Health Science Center have reported that fibromyalgia can be distinguished from chronic pain by primary care providers (PCPs) who employ two simple screening tests: BP cuff-evoked pain and a single patient question, and pain induced by pinching the Achilles tendon.&nbs

Opioid Crisis Costs US $500 Billion

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Reuters reports that the opioid crisis has cost the United States as much as $504 billion in 2015,  based on a White House economists report released this week. The White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) said the toll from the opioid crisis represented 2.8% of gross dom

DEA Cracks Down on Illicit Fentanyl

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Reuters reports that  U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has declaed it would classify illicit versions of fentanyl at the same level as heroin, allowing criminal prosecution of anyone who possesses, distributes or manufactures illicit versions of the drug.

Who Are We Doing This For?

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We take many things for granted. I walked 11,151 steps today going from sessions to posters and exhibit halls to learn as much as I can to take back to my clinic so I can help my patients.  My feet were hurting, and my back bothered me as I tried to get comfortable for the next lecture; yet, these minor discomforts are nothing compared to what our patients experience on a daily basis.

Co-morbid Fibromyalgia

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NSAID and Opioid Adverse Event Reports from MedWatch

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One-third of adults in the USA experience chronic pain and take prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, or opioids.

High Drug Discontinuations and Nonadherence in Fibromyalgia

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Compliance and adherence was shown to be quite poor in fibromyalgia (FM) patients, with high rates of drug discontinuation and greater than 60% demonstrated low adherence.

Zilretta - a New Drug FDA Approved for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

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Flexion Therapeutics announced friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee injectable steroid drug Zilretta with the indication of moderate-to-severe knee pain.

The RheumNow Week in Review - 6 October 2017

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The RheumNow Week in Review discusses the past week's news, journal articles and highlights from RheumNow.com. In this week's report, Dr. Jack Cush discusses when to hold the biologic, lymphoma risk with tofacitinib, early clues to the diagnosis of RA, biologic use in pregnancy, what's killing psoriasis patients and the 2016 top 5, best selling drugs in rheumatology.

22 September 2017 The RheumNow Week in Review

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The RheumNow Week in Review discusses the past week's news, journal articles and highlights from RheumNow.com. This week's report discusses survey results on membranous nephritis and patient perceptions of steroids, nonadherence, celebrity arthritis and IgG4 treatment.

Osteoporotic Fractures as Back Pain in Older Men

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The Journal of Bone and Mineral Research reports that older men with undiagnosed vertebral fractures are likely to report new or worsening back pain. (Citation source bit.ly/2y9rMiZ)