The ACR has published its updated recommendations for prevention and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) for patients receiving >3 months treatment with glucocorticoids (GCs) ≥2.5 mg daily. Despite increasing treatment options to prevent and treat GIOP, many GC-treated patients are not evaluated or treated.

As the sole effective treatment for polymyalgia rheumatica since their development in the 1950’s until recently, the impact of glucocorticoids and PMR outcomes are undeniably intertwined. So much so that when the OMERACT PMR working group first set out to develop a PMR core outcome set, they quickly realised that many of the outcomes important to patients were related to their glucocorticoid use.

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. 

Dr. Jack Cush discusses the news, journal articles and regulatory actions. This week we discuss JAKne, DLE and SLE and more.