Unpopular opinion: spinach can be bad for you

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PMR might be one of the most rewarding diagnoses to make in real practice: the patient comes to you in severe debilitating pain, and you prescribe steroids, giving them their lives back! As much as this impressive response makes your intervention appear almost magical, there is the often-forgotten story about the implications of such a diagnosis and treatment on patients' daily lives. 

What Goes Wrong with the Immune System in PMR?

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Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a common inflammatory rheumatic disease. The exact trigger for PMR onset remains unknown. However, immunology studies and clinical trials with biological DMARDs now shed light on the immune pathways involved in PMR.

Infections Rheums Should Worry About

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With the increasing development and use of new biologics and oral targeted therapies to treat RA and other immune mediated inflammatory diseases, an awareness of infection risk and prevention has become of increasing interest as well. While our patients may be susceptible to many different types of infections depending on immunosuppressive regimen, age and co-morbidities, I’ll highlight a few of the “usual suspects”.

Best of 2021: My Personal Delta COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection

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As many of you are aware, I have written and spoken on COVID-19 extensively over these past 20 months, and just last month wrote about the dangers of the delta variant. In July, things took an unexpected turn when I developed a breakthrough infection with the delta variant.

My Personal Delta COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection

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As many of you are aware, I have written and spoken on COVID-19 extensively over these past 20 months, and just last month wrote about the dangers of the delta variant. In July, things took an unexpected turn when I developed a breakthrough infection with the delta variant.

Rheuma-Yogi-ology

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Since the start of the pandemic, my emotions have swung like the pendulum of the hydroxychloroquine efficacy/inefficacy for COVID-19 debate. Stress has always been a part of my life, but it magnified with the recent events in our world. Dr. Lenny Calabrese had cited the benefits of mindfulness meditation to improve immunologic health and sharpen mental acuity. I had seen benefits in my patients, but never could do it myself. How can people meditate and strike a pose when there is so much to worry about?  Stress-eating seems so much more comforting! 

Staying Abreast of COVID-19

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Dealing with unknowns is both difficult and frustrating, as the answer is often not within our reach. The current pandemic has created a tidal wave of unknowns, scaring patients and putting physicians in a difficult spot.

Q Fever - The Intersection of Rheum and ID

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Today in clinic, I saw a patient with longstanding seropositive, erosive rheumatoid arthritis who had been treated with etanercept for over 10 years. She had undergone valve replacement years ago for regurgitation.

The IL-6 Wars

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In the years to come, the availability of numerous new IL-6 inhibitors it will either complicate treatment decisions, alter existing treatment paradigms, or result in an all-out war against TNF inhibitor dominance. Data, differences and time will tell.

How to Handle Latex Allergies and Biologics

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What to do when a patient has a latex allergy and you prescribe an injectable biologic (many having latex allergy as a contraintication)?

Highlights from the 4th World Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Conference; Stockholm, Sweden July 9-11, 2015

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The 4th annual IFPA meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden on July 9-11, 2015. Leading experts discussed advances in research, therapy and patient care for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.