Spotlight on Interstitial Lung Disease at ACR 2018
Here are a few important advances in our understanding of interstitial lung disease (ILD) from the ACR 2018 meeting last week.
News
Imaging Reveals Anatomical Focus of Inflammation in PMR
Two studies presented at ACR18 have used imaging to examine one of the key unanswered questions in polymyalgia rheumatica - what structures are the focus of inflammation in the disease – and demonstrated that peritendineal involvement is ubiquitous in and distinctive of PMR.
Anti-phospholipid Antibodies and Myocardial Infarction.
The Annals of Internal Medicine features a communique from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden demonstrating that elevated levels of antiphospholipid antibodies may be found in patients with myocardial infarction without any autoimmune co-morbidity, published in Annals of Internal M
'These Results Are Astonishing': What We Heard at ACR 2018
"If radiation was a drug that could improve survival in the metastatic setting like that it would be millions and millions of dollars." -- James B. Yu, of Yale Cancer Center, discussing aggressive use of stereotactic body radiation therapy in oligometastatic cancer.
Treat-to-Target Strategy Cuts Mortality in Gout Patients
More intense treatment of gout with a treat-to-target strategy can reduce patients' risk for death, a Spanish researcher told a press conference Monday at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting here.
RheumNow ACR Week in Review: ACR Wrap-Up (10.26.18)
This past week in Chicago gave us a plethora of new and eye-opening research, people, KOLs, exhibits, sessions, guidelines, posters and a never-ending supply of coffee served in small paper cups. ACR 2018 highlights for me included:
Update on Myositis
The ACR/ARHP 2018 national meeting in Chicago presented us with opportunities to learn more about inflammatory myositis. A particularly interesting lecture was HOT topics in myositis. There were a few abstracts on MDA-5 related disease and a few on new or repurposed medications for dermatomyositis which will be covered here.
ACR 2018 - Day 4 Report
Highlights from Tuesday and Wednesday (days 3 and 4) from the ACR annual meeting include: the important and impactful abstracts covered by the Rheumatology Roundup session; upadacitinib clinical trials; and the baricitinib CV and VTE safety analysis.
Updates on Psoriatic Arthritis at ACR 2018
I think 2018 was the year that belonged to psoriatic arthritis (although some may argue in favor of immune conditions induced by Checkpoint inhibitors). Many years ago the late Professor Verna Wright in Leeds (UK) was a lone voice for many years describing the clinical subtypes of Psoriatic arthritis as something distinctive from rheumatoid arthritis. For a long time we thought that the treatments for PsA were just the same as RA since we were treating the same problem of synovitis.
The 16th Annual La Paulee
La Paulee is traditionally the party/feast after harvest and a time when hard work is rewarded with food, fun, and wine. And so it was that evening; after better understanding genes, cytokines, and pathology it was time to have a good time with friends, old and new.
Checkpoint Inhibitor-related Myositis – Something Different
As expected, this year’s ACR meeting saw an upswing in the number of abstracts on immune related adverse events from checkpoint inhibitor therapy compared to last year.
Early Promise for Steroid-free Approach for Giant Cell Arteritis
A very small study presented at ACR18 looking at tocilizumab monotherapy in patients with a new diagnosis of giant cell arteritis has nevertheless given hope to the tantalising idea that some GCA patients might achieve drug-free remission without steroids, although broader data are requ
Pregnancy and Contraception in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases
A number of abstracts at this year’s ACR in Chicago highlighted issues around pregnancy and contraception advice in routine clinical practice.
ACR 2018 Podcast - Day 3
Audio Highlights and Interviews from Day 3 at the ACR 2018 meeting LISTEN HERE
Hydroxychloroquine Dosing: the Great Debate
Rheumatologists tend to be a conservative bunch of people. We’re law abiding and we (mostly) follow guidelines. Which is fine when they are in the best interests of our patients, but what do we do when we fundamentally disagree?
