Blogs
Methotrexate in PsA
Until the publication of the SEAM trial, evidence in the medical literature for the efficacy of the most commonly used drug for psoriatic arthritis worldwide, methotrexate, has been lukewarm at best. Yet we all employ it commonly, either as monotherapy or in combination with biologic or targeted synthetic DMARD treatment. It is inexpensive and widely available, and only modestly toxic.
Combined Clinics for PsA
Recognizing the importance of addressing all aspects of disease, we started our joint rheum-derm psoriatic disease clinic at Northwestern shortly after I arrived at the institution, and it has been a tremendous success.
MDA: Aiming for Perfection in PsA
When it comes to psoriatic arthritis clinical trials such as TICOPA (tight control in PsA) have consistently shown that treating to target correlates with improved disease domain and patient reported outcomes. Minimal disease activity (MDA) has become an oft used target and outcome in PsA trials. While many of us measure and record a variety of measures in our patient charts, we may be on our way to demonstrating MDA in practice. Here is a quick review of MDA components and how to capture them for your patients.
The Enthesitis Challenge in Psoriatic Arthritis
A colleague of mine once told me an interesting story of how her father, who was a doctor, misdiagnosed his wife with fibromyalgia when she actually had psoriatic arthritis with enthesitis all along. I would venture out and say that the average physician would have trouble evaluating enthesitis because even we, as rheumatologists do!
Combination Biologic Therapy in PsA: The beginning of a new era?
Without question, basic immunology is at the foundation of rheumatology as a discipline. Indeed, for many rheumatologists, it was the intricacies of the immune system that attracted us into the field. With each passing year, extraordinary advances in scientific methods begat tremendous gains in our understanding of the immune system. Excitingly, we may be entering a new era, driven by results in psoriatic arthritis and other related diseases.
Best of 2021: Drug Safety Risk Communication- The 800 lb Gorilla Approach
Discussions on drug safety can be as treacherous as quicksand for the patient and physician. What the physician knows and what the patient perceives may not be in sync.
ICYMI: Drug Safety Risk Communication- The 800 lb Gorilla Approach
Discussions on drug safety can be as treacherous as quicksand for the patient and physician. What the physician knows and what the patient perceives may not be in sync.
Three Healthcare Hashtags You Should Follow
I've sent more than 2,000 tweets since joining Twitter in July 2010. Even better, I've read (and sometimes shared) thousands of other educational, informative and sometimes humorous tweets from fellow rheumatologists, physicians, healthcare providers and others around the world. While following individuals and organizations relevant to you is important, so is following hashtags. Here are three I recommend.
Best of 2018: Rheumatology Dead Word Cemetery 2019
I recently heard of a secondary school assignment wherein students were challenged to “bury” a word that was no longer useful or appropriate. Their exercise has now evolved into an unofficial RheumNow task force to retire diagnostic terms that have grown into misuse in rheumatology and medicine. How did we decide which words should perish? And by what criteria? Who has the final say?
Best of 2018: The Delayed Diagnosis of Spondyloarthritis
You see them from the corner of your eye, standing with a kyphosis in the waiting room. They are filling out their paperwork, standing up because sitting is just not pleasant. You are the rheumatologist with an interest in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and spondyloarthritis, so more likely than not, the patient with the bent spine is going to be your next new patient. In the back of your mind you are hoping that they are not so far along so that the therapy you may prescribe can make a difference in their life.