Why Not Just Kick the TNFi Habit?
Why do we use TNF inhibitors as our first biologic choice? Is it the evidence of efficacy, access, safety, and drug retention, or is it a prescriber habit that merits critique?
Blogs
Do's and Don'ts of Vaccination: a (Very) Brief Guide for Rheumatologists
The five do's and don'ts when it comes to vaccinating your patients.
Time for a Paradigm Change in Rheumatoid Arthritis
How many clues are needed for a rheumatologist to know something is wrong with the therapeutic soup he/she is trying to concoct? One patient's tale leads to rethinking the RA treatment paradigm.
RA Guidelines Shouldn't Ignore the Power of Methotrexate Combo Therapy
The introduction of the 2015 rheumatoid arthritis treatment guidelines has prompted discussion and critique from many. Here's my perspective on where monotherapy and methotrexate combination therapy fits in our armamentarium.
Be the CEO of Your Health
Patients should act as if they are the CEO of a new business. Their business is the disease they must manage. The analogies of managing a business and a disease are numerous and instructive for patients and physicians alike.
The Role of Hydroxychloroquine Blood Levels in SLE
We review the available literature, with a particular focus on the recent findings in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort, regarding the clinical utility of hydroxychloroquine blood levels in helping to clarify some of the issues regarding retinopathy, how best to dose this medication, and medication adherence.
Week in Review - 20 Feb 2016
Highlights of Rheumatology news for the week ending 20 Feb 2016.
The Week in Review - 13 February 2016
Video highlights from last week's reports, news and tweets on RheumNow.com
Methotrexate: Where it All Began
It’s somewhat bizarre that a designer drug from over 65 years ago would become the cornerstone of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in the 21st century. When Sidney Farber designed a molecule that would interfere with folate metabolism in the middle of the 20th century, he was looking for a ubiquitous antimetabolite to treat cancer. Farber was actually quite concerned with the potential side effects of a drug that competitively inhibits folate metabolism. That is part of the reason he combined the “met” for metabolism with an “x”. The x was found on poison bottles and he thought it wise to include it in the name of this agent.
The Week in Review: 5 February 2016
Dr. Cush reviews highlights from last week's news and research in rheumatology.
It Took Me 30 Years to Learn This About Rheumatoid Arthritis
I’m alot better at RA in the last 10 years than I was when I started to practice 30 years ago. RA has not changed, but tools, knowledge and treatments have progressed admirably. Decades have taught me that many aspects of RA were wrongly taught, misunderstood or not apparent when I first started in rheumatology in 1984. Here are 10 things I've learned.
How to Handle Latex Allergies and Biologics
What to do when a patient has a latex allergy and you prescribe an injectable biologic (many having latex allergy as a contraintication)?
