Methotrexate Safety with Chronic Hepatitis B Infection
Chronic liver disease, and in particular hepatitis B infection, is a contraindication to methotrexate (MTX) use.
News
TNF Inhibition and Heart Failure
Clinicians often face the issue of using a TNF inhibitor (TNFi) in patients with heart failure or cardiac disease. Here are the facts and data necessary to make a cogent decision to use or avoid TNFi.
Early Aggressive Treatment of Elderly RA Results in Less Joint Surgery
Two population-based cohorts from Ontario (ON) and Quebec (QC) were used to assess if early DMARD influenced the need for joint replacement surgery among elderly patients with incident rheumatoid arthritis.
Less Treatment, Responses and Safety in Elder-Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis
A recent review compared elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) to those with younger-onset rheumatoid arthritis (YORA) to assess treatment responses and safety issues with biologics and DMARDS. EORA is generally defined as the onset of rheumatoid arthritis after age 60 years.
Zika Virus May Cause Guillain-Barré Syndrome
The spectrum and extent of the Zika virus is still evolving. Lancet has reported 42 patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) during the Zika virus outbreak in French Polynesia.
Subclinical Synovitis in Psoriasis Portends Future Psoriatic Arthritis
It is estimated that nearly 30% of psoriasis patients will develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This prevalence was studied by performing MRI scans on asymptomatic psoriasis (n=56) and 30 control patients without arthritis.
Tools, Brains & Organizers for Your Phone
Most people can’t live without their cell phone. But does the device define the modern medicine man and woman?
Rheumatoid Arthritis Alone is Not a Risk for Post-Op CV Events
Using hospitalization claims from 7 states, reasearchers studied the risk of cardiovascular outcomes following surgery in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. (Citation source http://buff.ly/1TDsVG6)
Calling a Doctor by His or Her First Name
Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title."
New Classification Criteria for Macrophage Activation Syndrome
Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SoJIA) is one of the most common underlying etiologies to the macrophage activation syndrome (MAS).
Cell Phone Study Proves Car Crash Risk
In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers enrolled over 3,500 U.S. drivers, aged 16 to 98 years, and followed them for a three-year period after rigging their vehicles with internal video cameras and devices to track speed and location.
Oral Prednisolone and NSAIDs Equipotent in Acute Gout
An emergency department based study evaluated the efficacy and safety of oral prednisolone versus indomethacin in 416 patients with acute gout in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial.
