News
Think Before You Order: Choose Wisely
Early in medical training, we are taught diagnoses are made 90% of the time based only on the history and physical exam of the patient; laboratory tests play a minor role. When ordered, tests are used as evidence to support the diagnosis already made by the physician.
Thinking Outside the Box: Novel Strategies for Early Detection of AxSpA
Strategies to identify patients with suspected inflammatory back pain in the general population is critical for timely and proper diagnosis.
Dual inhibition of IL17A and IL17F in AxSpA
A new target for treatment in AxSpA is the dual inhibition of IL17A and IL17F (IL17A/F). IL17A is a key driver of the inflammation in the AxSpA and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). IL17A and its structurally related IL17F share biologic functional properties. Inhibition of both cytokines (IL17A/F) should result in a greater clinical benefit in AxSpA and PsA than IL17A inhibition alone.
Do different genders experience PsA differently?
There has been a lot of talk lately about the difference in the way male and female PsA patients experience their disease. Are the differences only cultural or are there important clinical differences in the disease presentation, organ involvement and complications that physicians should be aware of?
Is exercise the missing medicine in lupus?
For lupus, sedentary lifestyle may be a driving force of disease activity. Today, the final day of ACR, Sarah Patterson, MD from UCSF will present
Vaccine Efficacy in Patients with Seronegative Spondyloarthritis
Vaccine efficacy remains an important and highly discussed topic at this year’s annual meeting given the ongoing COVID-19 global health crisis, current influenza season, and recently published 2022 ACR guidelines for vaccinations in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
ACR Best Abstracts - Day 2
Day two at ACR 2022 was full of great sessions on imaging, vasculitis, lupus, vasculitis, spondyloarthritis, COVID, pregnancy, microbiome, economics and more. Here are the RheumNow faculty selections for #ACRbest abstracts today:
Can Neural Networks Answer Important Diagnostic Dilemmas in Rheumatology?
An interesting study presented at ACR22 looked at whether neural networks can distinguish seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA+), seronegative RA (RA-), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) using hand MRI data based on the structural inflammation patterns.
Medication adherence is a problem
Much has been written about tapering medications in rheumatic diseases, often due to high costs of medications, a desire to avoid side effects and patient preference to take less medications (especially if they have side effects). This is countered by something we all know: medications not taken don’t work, and those that are frequently missed may not provide optimal outcomes for the majority of patients.
Does Evusheld shield people living with rheumatic diseases?
While COVID vaccination and subsequent booster remain the cornerstone, pre-exposure prophylaxis such as Evusheld (tixagevimab and cilgavimab) has been approved by FDA in December 2021 and EMA in March 2022 for people immunocompromised either due to a medical condition or receiving treatment with immunosuppressants and may not mount an adequate immune response to COVID vaccination. How does this therapy fare in RMD patients?
Potential new treatment for Sjogren's
Is there finally something new on the horizon in Sjogren’s syndrome?
