Location, Location, Location (7.26.2024)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. Location matters; Geo-rheumatology?
News
PEXIVAS: Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Patients
A secondary analysis of the PEXIVAS study showed antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis (AAV) patients complicated by diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) may have improved with plasma exchange and glucocorticoids, the results did not achieve significance.
Digital Self Screening for Arthritis Diagnosis
There are numerous impediments to diagnosis or referral; and a new study evaluates patient use of a mobile artificial intelligence (AI)–based symptom checker for diagnoses, but demonstrated only modest accuracy when applied to a cohort of patients with joint symptoms.
RA & OA: Nearly 40% have Anxiety, Depression or Fibromyalgia
Researchers at Rush University analyzed clinic MDHAQ data and found between 36-40% of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients screen positive comorbid anxiety, depression, or fibromyalgia.
Biologics Prevent AA amyloidosis progression to ESRD
MedPage Today
One of the most serious complications of rheumat0logic and autoimmune diseases can be prevented with biologic drugs, a single-center chart review suggested, and some such products may be more effective than others.
Patients with Financial Limits Struggle with Medication Adherence
Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey shows that nearly 1 in 5 patients with rheumatologic disease in the United States struggled economically, suffering from food insecurity and cost related medication (CRM) nonadherence.
Bad News Coronary Artery Calcium in Rheumatic Patients
A recent presentation at the 2024 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography meeting by Brittany Weber MD, PhD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital) has shown that incidental findings of coronary artery calcium on chest CTs in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases may be associated with poorer outcomes, even if they don’t have preexisting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Earlier RA Diagnosis Leads to Lower Costs of Care
A study from the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic shows that is rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is diagnosed within 12 weeks after symptom onset, treatment costs were lower in both autoantibody-negative and autoantibody-positive RA.
Best Rheumatologists (7.19.2024)
This week on the RheumNow Podcast, Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports of interesting, including irAE, pollution and Psoriasis, microwave therapy, scleroderma without scleroderma that only the best rheumatologists could discern.
JAK Inhibitors Reduce Macular Degeneration
Mepage Today
Insurance claims data showed that patients with autoimmune disorders who took Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors had lower rates of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), hinting that the drugs might treat the common eye disease.
Geography of Arthritis-attributable Pain in the USA
The journal Pain has shown geographic differences in arthritis-attributable pain, arthritis-related outcomes mostly clustered in the Deep South and Appalachia, while severe arthritis pain is more prevalent in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Georgia, Florida, and Maine.
Top 20 Best Rheumatology Hospitals - 2024
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has been named the top hospital for rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report. This is the 7th year in a row they have held this spot.