Herpes Zoster and GCA – What’s the Deal?
In November I reported on an abstract presented at ACR by Muratore, et al. who looked for evidence of VZV infection in temporal artery biopsies of GCA patients and found none.
News
Nonsignificant CV Risk with Actemra vs Enbrel
WASHINGTON -- Rheumatoid arthritis is a recognized risk factor for heart attacks and stroke, but a study comparing two leading biologics found only a non-significant increase in relative risk for patients treated with toclizimab (Actemra) vs etanercept (Enbrel), researchers reported here.
Physicians Still Over-Prescribe Antibiotics, Narcotics and Opioids
A study by the American College of Physicians (ACP) found that physicians continue to prescribe treatments that offer little benefit to patients, despite the advice of clinical guidelines.
Key Lessons from the TNF Inhibitor Head-to-Head EXXELERATE Study
The EXXELERATE study is featured prominently in Lancet this week. In some ways, this represents a landmark negative trial that rheumatologists should review and be aware of.
Is ABT-494 the Next JAK Inhibitor?
Tofacitinib may well be joined by a new once daily JAK inhibitor, baricitinib in the next few months.
The RheumNow Week in Review – 2 December 2016
Dr. Cush highlights reports from this week on RheumNow.com.
CURES Act : House Passes Largest Bill Since Obamacare
The 21st Century Cures Act has become one of the most-lobbied health care bills in recent history, with nearly a half billion dollars being spent on both sides - those for and against the bill.
ASDAS Activity Correlates with Xray Progression in Spondyloarthritis
Investigators analyzed a prospective study of patients with early axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) to assess predictors of outcome.
Rheumatologist Compensation and Manpower
You should use this information to not only fend for yourself, but to more accurately guide trainees into a richly rewarding specialty that pays well and has many distinctions to boast of, including high science, hands-on patient interactions and long-term relationships, great hours, lifestyle and family friendly careers. Our field is in desperate need of high quality, problem-solving practitioners.
MACRA: Not Just an Acronym Inside an Acronym
Education on MACRA is the key to successful survival. The important take home points noted in Dr. Will Harvey’s lecture at ACR 2016 (session title: Holy MACRA! How to Survive and Thrive in the New Era of MACRA, MIPS, and APMs) are stated below.
Herpes Zoster and Giant Cell Arteritis
The potential association of herpes zoster with giant cell arteritis (GCA) has been a debated topic and certainly has gotten some attention at ACR 2016 this year.
Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis: Results of the SCOT Trial
Diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc) is one of the most difficult autoimmune diseases to treat. In case of major organ involvement (lung, kidney), prognosis is poor and treatment options are limited.
Ustekinumab Effective and Safe in Crohn's Colitis
The New England Journal of Medicine has reported the results of a large clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of ustekinumab (Stelara) in treating patients with active Crohn's disease (CD). (Citation source http://buff.ly/2gsSNcs)
Maintenance of Remission in ANCA-vasculitis: MAINRITSAN study.
It is well known that ANCA-associated vasculitides can be hard to control and relapses are common. The choice of maintenance therapy is rather limited and therapies are not always effective.