Flare prophylaxis is the standard when initiating urate-lowering therapy (ULT) in patients with gout. A new study suggests that colchicine, more so than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prophylaxis, may increase the odds of adverse events, when initiating allopurinol for gout.

Frequent use of vascular ultrasonography and positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) increase the possibility of encountering a patient with solely symptoms of PMR (no cranial symptoms), but giant cell arteritis (GCA) confirmed with imaging. This group of PMR patients with so-called subclinical large vasculitis represents a clinical challenge. 

Today I will be talking about the gold standard tapering of glucocorticoids and polymyalgia rheumatica or PMR. Now, whenever we talk about a gold standard, it gets tricky because in practice, so many factors influence the way that we approach glucocorticoids and tapering in PMR.

PMR has come a long way from being an occasional referral and often test question, to now being a hot area of drug development and investigation. Led by numerous investigators and educators worldwide, there are new insights into the diagnosis, management and outcomes of PMR patients, with greater clarity on how and where it differs from giant cell arteritis.

This week on the podcast, Dr. Jack Cush is joined by special guest, Dr. Kathryn Dao to review the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. They discuss unmet needs in gout, obesity and CV disease in PsA and should you check ANCA antibodies in SLE?

Physician members of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), care team members of the Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP), and patients living with rheumatic diseases convened on Capitol Hill this week for the annual Advocates for Arthritis conference and to support legislative solutions to issues impacting patient access to care.