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Prevalence of Arthritis Rising in the USA
The latest CDC estimates of the national prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitations (AAAL) show a continued increase in absolute number: 58.5 million (23.7%) U.S. adults have arthritis, 25.7 million (43.9%) of whom have AAAL.
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Erosive Hand Osteoarthritis Portends Worse OA
An erosive hand osteoarthritis (EOA) study from the Osteoarthritis Initiative shows that EOA is more common in older women and is strongly linked to further progressive, articular structural damage.
This was a longitudinal cohort study of 3,365 individuals without prevalent erosive hand OA at baseline.
Pathways to a Psoriatic Arthritis Diagnosis
Ogdie and colleagues have retrospectively analyzed a longitudinal cohort of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients, showing that only two-thirds of PsA are diagnosed by rheumatologists, PCPs and dermatologists, with significant differences in what preemptive symptoms were noted by different subspecialties.
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Malnutrition and Quality of Life in Elderly RA Patients
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) imparts a significant disabilty and quality of life (QoL) limitations worsened by aging, but also by malnutrition.
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Lupus Frailty Index Predicts Organ Damage
Patients with longstanding systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who were considered frail were more likely to accrue disease damage over time, a secondary analysis of data from a Chicago lupus cohort found.
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AAOS Clinical Practice Guideline for Knee Osteoarthritis
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has published their Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Non-Arthroplasty); updating 19 of the 29 evidence-based recommendations and focuses on nonsurgical treatmentss to provide pain and patient function.
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Obesity Rates Rise During the Pandemic
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that obesity rates have risen in the USA during the pandemic. Sixteen states have obesity rates of 35% or higher - that's four more than last year, adding Delaware, Iowa, Ohio and Texas to the list.
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RheumNow Podcast – Jack of All Subspecialties (10.1.2021)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
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CDC Advises COVID-19 Vaccines for Pregnant Women
Today, CDC issued an urgent health advisory to increase COVID-19 vaccination among people who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating), who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future to prevent serious illness, deaths, and adverse
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Gout Flare and Treatment Studies Lacking in Severe Chronic Kidney Disease
Gout is a common comorbidity amongst those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with the added challenge of choosing best therapies in the setting of declining renal function. A systematic literature review notes significant deficiencies regarding the efficacy and safety outcom
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Starting Febuxostat During an Acute Gout Flare
A randomized controlled trial in gout patients has shown that starting febuxostat during an acute gout flare was without ill-effects and did not prolong the gouty attack.
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Is Acetaminophen Potentially Hazardous in Pregnancy?
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.
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No Recurrent Cancer Risk With Biologic Treatment of RA
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had a history of cancer did not have an increased risk of new or recurrent cancers if treated with biologic therapies, a meta-analysis found.
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RheumNow Podcast – I Wanna New Drug.V2 (9.24.2021)
Almost three years ago to the day, I did a podcast entitled, "I wanna new drug." As I go over this week's podcast, I want to say it again. I want a new drug safe enough to use during pregnancy, for PMR, for GVHD, and more. I'm going to cover these, and other topics including lupus, COVID breakthrough infections, and statin use and the risk of RA, as I review the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.
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Guselkumab Treats Axial Disease in Psoriatic Arthritis
Pooled analysis of the DISCOVER-1 and DISCOVER-2 trials have shown that guselkumab, an IL-23 inhibitor, was effective and safe in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with axial involvement and imaging-confirmed sacroiliitis.
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11 Drugs That Cause Arthritis
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.
IL-6 Inhibition in Refractory Systemic Sclerosis
A small, single-center cohort analysis of difficult, refractory systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients showed that treatment with tocilizumab (TCZ), an interleukin-6 inhibitor, resulted in significant improvement in joint and skin involvement, regardless of SSc disease duration or subtype.
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Tocilizumab and Drug Shortage Headaches
Do you know what’s in short supply? Trust, pediatric rheumatologists, and drugs. Since the onset of the pandemic, numerous drug shortages have affected rheumatology, including sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and now, tocilizumab.
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