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Vitamin D Insensitivity in the Rheumatoid Joint
Researchers from the University of Birmingham have shown that while Vitamin D may be effective at preventing the onset of inflammation, it is less effective once inflammatory disease is established - largely because, once established, rheumatoid arthritis leads to vitamin D insensitivity.
Read ArticleACR17 Good News – Ankylosing Spondylitis and Spondyloarthritis
The following is a collection of AS/SpA-specific mentions culled from RheumNow's coverage of the Annual ACR 2017 meeting in San Diego.
Read ArticleJ&J Hit with a $247 Million Verdict over Metal-on-Metal Hip Replacements
Reuters reports that a federal jury has ordered Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy Orthopaedics division to pay $247 million settlment to six patients who suffered from its defective Pinnacle, metal-on-metal, hip implants. in the US. J&J says it will appeal this decision.
Read ArticleThe RheumNow Week in Review - 17 November 2017
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week he covers FDA warnings on gout drugs, steroid use in Australia, biosimilars lost savings and methotrexate hepatotoxicity in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Read ArticleDEA Cracks Down on Illicit Fentanyl
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.
Read ArticleThe ACR17 RheumNow Week in Review - 10 November 2017
This special edition of the RheumNow Week in Review covers highlights of selected sessions from the 2017 ACR annual meeting in San Diego. Dr.
Read ArticlePodcast of ACR 17 - Day 3
Check out this compilation of our ACR17 Day 3 broadcasts, merged into a single one hour podcast !
Read ArticleWho Are We Doing This For?
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.
Read ArticleACR 2017 - Day 2 Highlights
In the afternoon on Monday, the ACR ran a clinical symposium on gout. One presentation stood out, on “Asymptomatic hyperuricemia” (AH) by M. Pillinger, MD from NYU Medical School. At issue is when should AH be treated.
Read ArticleACR 2017 - Day 1 Highlights
Curtis and colleagues presented a plenary session that analyzed the duration of drug holidays and the risk of subsequent fractures (FX) in women starting bisphosphonates (BP).
Read ArticleRomosozumab vs Alendronate in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Poster 318 presented at the ACR on Sunday morning caught attention of many, highlighting updates in phase 3 active controlled study of romosozumab vs alendronate in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis with high risk of fracture.
Read ArticleSafety of Long-Term PPI Use
The current issue of JAMA reviews the safety of long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPI). The following is a collection of the evidence about these purported risks.
Fractures
Read ArticleRomosuzumab Followed by Alendronate is Best in Fracture Prevention
The NEJM reports that in high risk post-menopausal women, romosozumab for 12 months followed by alendronate resulted in a significantly lower fracture than alendronate alone.
Read ArticleCDC: 40% of U.S Adults Claim to Have Arthritis
The CDC has reported its 2013 and 2014 prevalence statistics for arthritis and other chronic medical conditions affecting U.S. adults aged ≥18 years. Data is drawn from the ongoing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a state-based, telephone survey of noninstitutionalized adults. Data herein is self-reported arthritis (OA, RA, Gout, FM) and is quantified by state and metropolitan areas.
Read Article15 September 2017 The RheumNow Week in Review
The RheumNow Week in Review discusses the past week's news, journal articles and highlights from RheumNow.com. This week's report discusses metabolic syndrome in lupus, bisphosphonate holidays, vasculitis and vascular inflammation, vaccination, and the repeated wonders of Vitamin D.
Read ArticleIncreasing Deaths and Breaking Bad with Fentanyl
Opioid overdose deaths quadrupled from 1999 to 2015 and accounted for 63% of drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2015. During 2010–2015, heroin overdose deaths quadrupled from 3,036 to 12,989, with heroin and illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) as likely contributors to this trend.
Read ArticleOsteoporosis Care for RA Patients Found Suboptimal, Declining
Fewer than half of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients at a risk of fracture sufficient to warrant guideline-recommended osteoporosis treatment received appropriate care, according to a large study of U.S. osteoarthritis (OA) and RA patients.
Read ArticleNo Evidence to Support Use of Gabapentinoids in Low Back Pain
Management of chronic low back pain (CLBP) is often complex, requiring multiple modalities and meds to control pain. An analysis of studies shows that Gabapentinoids, including pregabalin and gabapentin, have little to no benefits but significant risk of adverse effects.
Read ArticleJoint Pain Linked to Increasing Temperature, Not Rainfall
Every rheumatologist knows and every rheumatic patient woes about the havoc weather inflicts on joint pains. Yet, research on this issue has seldom confirmed these impressions.
Read ArticleCriteria for Early Referrals from Primary Care
Early diagnosis and early intervention has been the mantra of all who manage musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases for decades. While the rules for referral may be clear to some, the lack of uniformity and promotion amongst primary care providers is less certain.
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