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RETRO - Taper or Not: You Decide
A prospective, phase 3 trial of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in sustained remission has shown more than half will flare if disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) therapy is tapered or discontinued and that remission is best maintained by continued DMARD therapy.
Read ArticleObesity 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.
Read ArticleGout 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
Read ArticleIs 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.
Read Article11 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.
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FDA Review of Vaping Products Extended
The FDA has again extended its decision on whether the manufacturers of vaping products can market their e-cigarettes in the United States.
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ICYMI: The Greatest Rheumatologist - Part II
Wow! I hope you read part I of yesterday's “Greatest Rheumatologist” article. So many big names and yet, other names and stories that were equally inspirational.
If you read the comments of the part I article you can clearly see several themes emerge.
Read ArticleICYMI: The Greatest Rheumatologist - Part I
Who is the greatest rheumatologist? What makes for a great rheum? Is it clinical acumen, scientific achievement, educational prowess or years of unrivaled service or mentoring? Rheumatologists are quite opinionated on this subject and very nostalgic about their mentors and leaders. When I’ve posed this question in small groups, it’s plain to see how moved they become when discussing mentors or peers who influenced them. Thus, I posed this question to many of our leaders and mentors: who do you think of as the greatest rheumatologist?
Read ArticleExpert Panel: Initial Views on FDA Warnings for JAK Inhibitors
Dr. Jack Cush is joined by Drs. Roy Fleischmann (Dallas), Allan Gibofsky (NYC), and Artie Kavanaugh (San Diego) to discuss the 9/2/21 FDA Drug Safety Communication regarding the cardiovascular and cancer risks arising from the Pfizer 1133 (ORAL Surveillance) tofacitinib study, but also applied to baricitinib and upadacitinib.
Read ArticleRare Risks Associated with BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine
The current NEJM reports that the use of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) demonstrated a very low risk for certain serious adverse events, including the risk of myocarditis (1 to 5 events per 100,000 persons).
Read ArticleThe Predictive Value of Morning Stiffness
A prospective study evaluated the value and associations with morning stiffness in patients with clinically suspect arthralgia, and found that the presence of morning stiffness increases the odds of inflammation (as detected by CRP and MRI synovitis).
Read ArticlePassive Smoke Exposure and Rheumatoid Risk
A current report in Arthritis & Rheumatology examined the Nurses Health Study II data set and shows that parental smoking, and passive exposure to children, can later lead to an increased risk of adult-onset incident seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Read ArticleHHS, FDA & CDC Joint Recommendation on COVID Booster
Today, public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the following statement on the Administration’s plan for COVID-19 booster shots for the American people.
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What Factors Predict RA in First-Degree Relatives?
Among a cohort of first-degree relatives of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), certain patient characteristics, as well as symptoms, helped predict a possible increased risk for developing the disease, U.K. researchers reported.
Read ArticleBooster Shots for Rheumatology Patients on Immunosuppressive Medications
ATLANTA – The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices today recommended that rheumatology patients being actively treated with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, TNF blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory receive a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
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