ACR 2015 RA treatment guidelines were published yesterday, nearly a year after they were preliminarily presented at the 2014 ACR meeting in Boston. After a year of review and revision these have been posted.
In September, the FDA issued warnings that the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inihibitor Invokana may cause a dose-dependant increased risk of bone fractures. This was based on a review of nine clinical trials. Such fractures could occur as early as 12 weeks after initiation and with minor traumatic provocation.
An FDA Advisory Panel reviewed the safety of fluoroquinolones and their use to treat sinus infections, urinary-tract infections and bronchitis.
The panel unanimously voted in favor for revision of the product label to more adequately portray the changing safety profile of this class, that includes Cipro and Aveloz.
Dr. Cush Heads to San Francisco
Jack Cush, MD, is on his way to the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco. Watch this short video for his tips on what to bring, who to watch, and what you can expect from RheumNow.com this week.
While decades of drug development have improved treatment options, some of our older drugs are harder to improve upon. The same can be said for old movies and new movies, or classic literature and current best sellers. Which do you prefer or rely on?
As risk of hip fracture increases with advanced age, our knowledge of risk factors for hip fracture among very old people remains limited.
A population-based study from Sweden was designed to investigate risk factors for hip fracture among very old people, including individuals with dementia and persons living in residential care facilities.
"Doc....the pain is killing me."
This oft heard patient complaint may be truer than you think.
MDTV on Pregnancy and RA with Dr. Cush
If a Rheumatoid Arthritis patient has good control over her RA, then the best pregnancy outcomes will be seen. There's a safety element involved there regarding the safety of that drug in the pregnant women versus the safety of uncontrolled inflammation in that pregnant woman. John J. Cush, MD, Director of Clinical Rheumatology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, explains more.
Certain serologic and clinical features can help predict a chronic disease course among children with juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (JIIM), a large registry study showed.
Biosimilars are in the news and will be prominently on parade at next week's ACR meeting in San Francisco. Biosimilars are similar to, but not the same as, innovator biologics.
JAMA reports the results of trends in drug use in the USA over a 13 year period using data derived 37959 adults survey in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). An overall increase in the use of prescription drugs was seen among US adults between 1999-2000 and 2011-2012.
A retrospective population-based study from New Zealand examined the epidemiology, clinical features, and microbiology of adult native joint septic arthritis. Specifically, they studied the populatoin of Canterbury, New Zealand over a 5-year period - looking at individuals with and without an underlying rheumatic disorder.
To assess the prevalence and magnitude of healthcare costs associated with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) in the USA, researchers analyzed adminstrative data from Truven Health MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases. Major relapses (using the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score) and healthcare costs were assessed during a 24-month followup period.
In October 2015, RheumNow published 76 tweets about impactful news, research and teaching points that impact the rheumatology community. In October, RN had a reach (impressions) of 49,500, 79 mentions, and over 2000 visits to RheumNow.com to check out what we publish. The average daily “tweet” from RheumNow is seen by 3000-8,000 viewers.
Off-label use of prescription drugs was associated with adverse drug events in a study of patients in Canada, according to an article published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.
