The strong opioid painkiller, tramadol, is not that effective at easing chronic pain for which it’s widely prescribed, finds a pooled data analysis of the available research, published online in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.
A Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Systems study of older male veterans found benefits of a remote model of screening that significantly improved osteoporosis screening, treatment, and adherence compared with usual care, with high patient and clinician acceptance.
A phase IV trial from Spain demonstrates that optimization of therapy by lessening biological DMARDs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be feasible, with a low risk of flare.
A study of radiographic outcomes in difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) and poly-refractory RA (pr-RA) show a subset in whom damage is rapid and in need of more aggressive therapy.
Medical University of South Carolina geneticist Betty Tsao, Ph.D., will lead a five-year project to identify rare mutations associated with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, with more than $3.5 million in funding from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Tsao holds the Richard M. Silver Endowed Chair for Inflammation Research in the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and important associations in rheumatology from the past week on RheumNow.com.
People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who experienced disease flares often showed changes in heart rate and physical activity captured by popular wearable devices 4 weeks before they became clinically apparent, a small study indicated.
Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is typically recognized for its striking skin rashes, vasculopathy, and muscle inflammation. Less visible, but equally significant, is lung involvement. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is increasingly acknowledged as a critical driver of morbidity and mortality in this condition. While myositis itself can be debilitating, it is pulmonary disease that often dictates long-term outcomes.
An exercise and diet intervention study showed that while exercise improved hip pain, adding a weight loss diet to exercise did not change hip pain but improve most secondary outcomes.
FDA announced yesterday that guselkumab (Tremfya) is approved for use in pediatric patients moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) or active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in children six years and older (weighing at least 40 kg).
Children with juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myositis (JIIM) are at risk of developing lung disease, notably interstitial lung disease (ILD). ILD can be asymptomatic initially, progressing silently to irreversible lung damage, which underscores the importance of early detection and monitoring.
When I see patients with RA-associated ILD, I’m often asked: “Are the lungs and joints really connected?” The answer is yes, and the connection extends further back than some may realize. While RA is defined by inflammation of the joints, extra-articular complications of the lung are well recognized. ILD has often been viewed as a complication of longstanding RA, but it can also appear before joint disease in a subset of patients.
The American Journal of Managed Care has reviewed the approach to patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD); a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in those with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM).
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from RheumNow.com. Pool therapy, Fibrosis, NSIE's and what's best for knee OA.
Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features - or IPAF - describes patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features, but they don’t meet a diagnosis of a CTD.
