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ICYMI: ACR Plenaries: Changing the Practice of Rheumatology
Over the years of navigating the annual meeting, I found the sessions with the most impact to my practice were the Plenary Sessions. During these sessions, the latest research is presented, new ideas are floated, and old myths debunked. Here are the top ACR2023 Plenary abstracts I found impactful for my practice.
Read ArticleEULAR 2023 Recommendations on Fatigue
Fatigue is highly prevalent in inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (I-RMDs) patients, is often unaddressed and yet it has significant effects on patient quality of life. A EULAR task force set out to develop recommendations for the management of fatigue in people with I-RMDs.
Read ArticleICYMI: Cancer and TNF inhibitors
Cancer risk minimisation is a high priority for people with rheumatic diseases, as it is for the general population. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) have a long history of association with cancer risk discussions. An oral presentation by Suarez-Almazor et al provided more supportive data on using TNFi in this population.
Read ArticleICYMI: Urinary biomarkers precede loss of kidney function for lupus nephritis
In Abstract 0850, Dr. Andrea Fava from Johns Hopkins presents research on the value of urinary biomarkers as measure of intrarenal inflammation.
Read ArticleICYMI: Glucocorticoids-free zone in SLE?
For over 70 years, glucocorticoids, (GC) have been a part of standard therapy in SLE. They are classically used to not only induce remission or treat an acute flare, but also as maintenance therapy. They are a valuable 'friend' if used wisely, and can become a 'foe' if used excessively.
Read ArticleCBT or Naltrexone in Fibromyalgia (12.8.2023)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. Be sure to catch the early registration break for 2024 RheumNow Live.
Read ArticleICYMI: The Fallacy of Biologic Treatment to Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis
The window of opportunity concept in RA shifted our focus to trying to treat disease earlier and more aggressively to improve long term outcomes. A natural development of this was to reconsider the possibility of therapeutic interventions aimed at the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis.
Read ArticleICYMI: New Biomarkers and Therapeutics Show Potential in Still's Disease
Adult-onset Still’s disease is a rare complex, sporadic, systemic autoinflammatory disease similar to systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis characterized by sustained fever, salmon-colored rash, and arthritis. The 2023 ACR convergence featured several abstracts spotlighting developments in understanding and managing this complex disease spectrum.
Read ArticleICYMI: Towards Personalised Care in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Since the millennium, we have seen an expansion in the number of advanced treatments both biologic and targeted synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis. The challenge remains on how best to characterise the subtypes of RA in order to choose the best drug to ensure optimal outcome for patients.
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Is MTX Safe in the Elderly? (12.1.2023)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews this past week's news and journal reports from RheumNow.com. Good news is that nearly 99% of adult rheumatology positions matched! But the challenge is that 45% of pediatric fellowship programs and 39% of pediatric rheum slots were unfilled in the 2024 NRMP match.
Read ArticleRheum Fellowship Slots Fill Up for 2024
While adult rheumatology programs continue to have high match rates, pediatric rheumatology programs remain less popular.The National Residency Matching Program announced yesterday that the 2024 rheumatology fellowship match filled 97.6% (124/127) of programs, and 98.9% (273/276) of rheumatology fellowship positions. This is on par with last years (2023) adult rheumatology match wherein 97.8% (265/271) of the rheumatology fellow positions were filled.
Read ArticleWhen should we be starting therapy in GCA and PMR?
The problem with having therapies that work is that you then have to figure out what to do with them. You cannot hide behind a shrug of the shoulders, or the ambiguity of therapeutic inadequacy. The question that follows the presence of a therapy is the question as to how to best use it.
GCA and PMR are at the stage in the growth of their therapeutic development where this problem is moving to the front of mind, and it made for a fitting topic in the ACR Great Debate. Drs. Rob Spiera and Phil Seo - two luminaries in the vasculitis and PMR worlds - were pitted head to head to discuss.