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Articles By Janet Pope, MD, MPH, FRCPC

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Could Measuring Drug Levels with TNF Treatment Hurt Your Patients?

Our colleagues in gastroenterology measure drug levels with certain biologics used in inflammatory bowel disease in order to increase the dose for optimal benefit if the patient has a low trough level (i.e. targeting drug level).

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We Measure What we do in RA, But so What?

We are supposed to treat to a target (T2T) in RA. In other words, measure many components of the disease and its activity and calculate a score and if the patient is not in remission (or a low state if remission is not achievable) we are to make a treatment change.

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Does RA kill you? Let me count the ways….and what you can do about it

There were many presentations at EULAR 2018 in Amsterdam about the mortality of RA.

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The Gender Gap in Rheumatology Leaders

Leadership positions in medicine are disproportionately filled by men. Although the enrollment of medical schools are equal male: female or even some have more women, 40% of American medical institutions lack programs for recruiting women, or for retention and promotion of female faculty.This may also be true in rheumatology, which is now attracting more women than men as trainees. I recently wrote an article in the Lancet about mentoring women in medicine and suggested ideas for improving the gender gap in leadership.  

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Highlights from EULAR 2017 - From RheumReports.com

Dr. Janet Pope reviews her favorite and least favorite presentations and abstracts from EULAR 2017. 

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Why Not Just Kick the TNFi Habit?

Why do we use TNF inhibitors as our first biologic choice?  Is it the evidence of efficacy, access, safety, and drug retention, or is it a prescriber habit that merits critique?  

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Smoking and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Why don't rheumatologists send their smoker patients to smoking cessation programs or use aids for cessation? Do we think it is not our problem?

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RA Guidelines Shouldn't Ignore the Power of Methotrexate Combo Therapy

The introduction of the 2015 rheumatoid arthritis treatment guidelines has prompted discussion and critique from many.  Here's my perspective on where monotherapy and methotrexate combination therapy fits in our armamentarium.

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How Do I Treat Symptomatic Interstitial Lung Disease in Scleroderma?

Will the results of two recent large scleroderma lung studies finally inform us on how to manage interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis?  

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