This ACR has seen some more great work on tapering of therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. It’s a hot topic and one which I get asked about all the time by my patients. Commonly when I start oral csDMARDs patients want to know how long they be will on therapy and that naturally leads to a discussion about what the plan will be in the future about tapering.
Shingrix (GSK), the herpes zoster subunit vaccine (a two-shot series), was approved by the FDA in Fall 2018 and is currently approved for use in adults 50 years and older. Shingrix has replaced the live zoster vaccine, Zostavax (Merck) as the preferred shingles vaccine, however its use in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) remains a gray area.
Dr. Jack Cush recaps standout presentations and information from ACR 2019 held in Atlanta November 9-12, 2019.
Largely because it can be difficult to do studies in pregnant women, gaps remain in the area of rheumatic disease in pregnancy. This year’s ACR highlights some important new points to consider.
Here's my summary of key studies presented Tuesday.
Tofacitinib in Polyarticular JIA
Below are several of the highlight studies in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) presented at the ACR 2019 annual meeting in Atlanta.
Few rheumatologic diseases have diagnostic criteria, so clinicians often rely on classification criteria to diagnose patients in clinic. Because classification criteria were not designed to be used for these purposes, they have important limitations.
At the 2019 ACR annual meeting, several abstracts looked at the importance of myopia (muscle wasting due to illness at any age) and sarcopenia (age related muscle wasting) in the setting of various rheumatologic diseases.
Monday was another full day of sessions and studies here in Atlanta. Following is my roundup of day two.The Safety of Methotrexate
As we enter flu season it is of the utmost importance that we remember to assess our patients’ influenza vaccine status at each visit.
Gout is a systemic inflammatory disease with high potential for joint damage due to erosive changes and MSU deposits resulting in disability and chronic pain. Prompt diagnosis and effective treatment are key to better long term outcomes and decreased disability.
The ACR Plenary Sessions featured some of the best research presented on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in Atlanta. Here are my seven notable highlights from the Plenaries.
Flares of vasculitis can still be a problem after hepatitis C-related cryoglobulinemic vasculitis patients are cured of their hepatitis C by direct-acting antivirals, as demonstrated by data from four registries presented at ACR 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The evidence base is currently lacking on whether the use of social media can improve patient outcomes. The reality is that individual doctors and medical organizations have to consciously decide if, why and how to use the various social media platforms.
Sunday was the first full day of scientific sessions at the 2019 ACR/ARP meeting in Atlanta. Yesterday we shared our initial news articles, videos and more with you. Following is my roundup of day one.
Delays in Diagnosis
