Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Sharad Lakhanpal, MBBS, MD, Named an APLAR Master

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In early December, Sharad Lakhanpal, MBBS, MD, a rheumatologist at Rheumatology Associates in Dallas and past president of the ACR, traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, for the 2023 Congress of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR). There he was named an APLAR Master. The award is presented to someone not from APLAR,…

When to Check Drug Levels & Why

Stephen J. Balevic, MD, PhD, RhMSUS  |  

Checking blood levels of commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has gained widespread attention in the rheumatology community, even resulting in a recent guidance document from EULAR for biologics.1 Although a highly useful tool, drug level measurement in rheumatology is not without challenges; many of our drugs violate the basic principles of pharmacology that we…

ACR Image Competition 2023 Results, Part 4

Doron Rimar, MD  |  

For the 2023 Image Competition, the ACR sought images representing a diverse range of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) or IIM mimics. Unilateral Heliotrope Rash in Anti-MDA-5 Antibody Dermatomyositis These images depict a 36-year-old patient with arthralgias, dyspnea and a unilateral heliotrope rash (image A). A unilateral heliotrope rash is a distinctive, but rare,…

SMILE, an Online Lupus Tool, Can Aid Shared Decision Making

Katie Robinson  |  

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often face many concerns, fears and uncertainties that render “treatment decision making very difficult,” says Jasvinder Singh, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Often these patients, who tend to be women from minority groups, “do not have access to easily understandable…

Reflecting on B Cell-Depleting Therapies & COVID-19

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In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, confusion and concern for immunosuppressed patients grew among rheumatologists and patients alike. Research has helped bridge the knowledge gap, and treatment options for COVID-19 have helped ease concerns.

In Memoriam … Debashish Danda, MBBS, MD, DM, FRCP (1958–2024)

Eric L. Matteson, MD, MPH, & Evelyn Hsieh, MD, PhD  |  

Dedicated to advancing rheumatology education worldwide On Feb. 24, 2024, distinguished professor of medicine and rheumatology Debashish Danda, MBBS, MD, DM, FRCP, was lost to the world following a tragic motor vehicle accident. Dr. Danda was highly respected both in his home country of India and on the international stage for his contributions to advancing…

The Roles of the Interdisciplinary Rheumatology Team in Patient Care Highlighted

Kimberly Steinbarger, PT, MHS, DHSc, & Keri Losavio  |  

To work together effectively, clinicians and rheumatology professionals need to understand the roles of every member of the interdisciplinary team. To enhance this understanding, the ARP Interprofessional Practice & Management Committee has undertaken a project to describe the modern roles of members of the interdisciplinary team in a series of fact sheets. The first three…

Can Repeat Injections Improve Knee OA Pain?

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Promising Results from a Phase 3 Study SAN DIEGO—An investigational liposomal formulation of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (TLC599) for intra-articular injection is being studied to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). George Spencer-Green, MD, MS, chief medical officer of Taiwan Liposome Company (TLC), Cambridge, Mass., presented recent data on this agent in a late-breaking abstract session…