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ACR Applauds Prior Authorization Rule

ACR

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR), on behalf of over 9,100 rheumatologists and rheumatology professional team members, applauds the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for finalizing its Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Processes for Medicare Adva

Severe Hypocalcemia Risk with Denosumab and CKD Patients

On 1-19-2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Drug Safety Communication about the risk of severe hypocalcemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients taking denosumab for osteoporosis, with an accentuated risk in older women who are dialysis-dependent. This report is an update to their November 2022 investigation, the results of a related study being recently reported in JAMA.

Methotrexate Nodulosis (1.19.2024)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. How good (or not) are rheumatologists and what to do about MTX nodulosis?

Rheumatologists and the Early Diagnosis of Spondyloarthritis

SPACE study of adults referred to rheumatology with less than 2 years of chronic back pain (CBP), shows that only one-third can be reliably diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Rituximab Efficacy in MAINRITSAN Long-Term Studies

The original randomized controlled, prospective MAINRITSAN study of 115 patients (87 with granulomatosis with polyangiitis, 23 with microscopic polyangiitis, and 5 with renal-limited ANCA-associated vasculitis [AAV]) demonstrated superiority of rituximab (RTX) over azathioprine (AZA) for maintenance of remission at 22 months in ANCA-associated vasculitis patients after CYC remission induction.

CMS Final Rule on Prior Authorization Reforms

Prior authorizations and paperwork are killing medical providers; the good news is that a new CMS rule may lessen the burden. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that they have finalized the CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule, designed to improve prior authorization processes and reduce burden on patients, providers, and payers, with a resultant $15 billion of estimated savings over ten years.

Fertility and Rheumatoid Onset

MedPage Today

British women whose capability of bearing children either started late or ended early -- naturally or otherwise -- were at increased risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared with women with earlier menarche or later menopause, researchers found.

Tic-Borne Disorders Causing Chronic Arthritis?

Findings from a population based cross-sectional study suggests that while up to 20% of patients have antibodies to tick-borne exposures, only a minority reported musculoskeletal symptoms. 

2023 EULAR Non-pharmacological Management of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: 2023 update

EULAR has published the 2023 updated recommendations for the optimal non-pharmacological management of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Sodium Channels, Carbemazepine and Osteoarthritis Progression

A study published in Nature suggests that therapies affecting sodium channels could be employed to treat osteoarthritis.

SLE: A Mutated Gene and TLR7 Overexpression

EurekAlert!

A group of researchers lead by Min Ae Lee-Kirsch from the Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Germany), studied four patients from two families who developed symptoms of SLE in the first years of life.

2023 Rheumatology Year in Review

Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights, advances and hot topics in rheumatology from 2023 and the RheumNow website.  

2023 was a year of growth and new horizons while returning to operational and practice standards (in care and education) established before the pandemic.  

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