CDC: 2017 Record Number of Influenza Deaths
The CDC reports that in 2017, influenza killed and hospitalized more people in the United States than any other year in the last few decades.
News
Complementary Therapies in Psoriasis
A systematic review in Archives of Dermatology suggests that among complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, the most effective are indigo naturalis, curcumin, dietary modification, meditation, and acupuncture.
Mortality Improves in Lupus ESRD
The past two decades have seen a significant decline in mortality among patients with lupus nephritis, U.S. registry data indicated.
Knee Arthroscopic Surgeries on the Decline
A JAMA Internal Medicine report has shown that the rate of arthroscopic surgery has significantly declined, in an era when arthroplasty and the incidence of osteoarthritis (OA) has increased.
Fractures May Lead to Systemic Bone Loss
Researchers at the University of California - Davis have shown that elderly women who had an upper body fracture or multiple fractures had more loss of hip density compared to those who who did not fracture. Systemic bone loss may increase the risk of future fractures.
Ustekinumab May be Effective in Lupus
Ronald F van Vollenhoven and colleagues have reported in Lancet that ustekinumab (UST), an interleukin-12 and -23 inhibitor, when added to usual therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, was shown to be superior to placebo at improving clinical efficacy and laboratory param
RheumNow Week in Review – RheumNow Live Meeting Announcement (9.21.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and updates from the past week on RheumNow.
Maastricht Study Links Dairy Intake to Osteoarthritis
The Maastricht study explored the potential association between dairy consumption and knee osteoarthritis (OA), and found that higher intake of full-fat dairy and Dutch cheese - but not milk - was significantly associated with the lower risk of knee OA.
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.
Unproven But Profitable Stem Cell Clinics
Stem cell clinics are popular and proliferating as they are largely a cash business and fall outside of FDA regulatory control. In lieu of scientific proof, most advocates use patient testimonials and the placebo effect to back up their claims.
Treat-to-Target in RA: No Increase in AEs
Implementing a treat-to-target approach for the care of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) did not result in an increase in adverse events or resource use, a post-hoc analysis of a randomized trial showed.
