Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

More Evidence TNF Inhibitors Raise Risk of Peripheral Neuropathy

Megan Brooks  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A large epidemiological study provides more evidence of a link between tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and peripheral neuropathy (PN). “These events are rare and the benefit of these drugs still outweigh this risk so this should not change practice,” cautions first author Dr. Mahyar Etminan from the University of British Columbia…

Taking Vitamin D Supplements May Not Improve Bone Health

Linda Carroll  |  

(Reuters Health)—Vitamin D supplementation may not improve bone density or prevent fractures and falls in adults, a large new analysis suggests. After combining data from 81 randomized controlled trials, researchers found no bone benefits from supplementing the vitamin, according to the report in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, online October 4. “Our results show that…

Antidepressant of No Clear Value in Chronic Low-Back Pain

Will Boggs MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Low-dose amitriptyline does not have clear benefits for patients with chronic low-back pain that has no specific cause, according to results from a randomized clinical trial. Despite the lack of evidence that antidepressants are more effective than placebo for low-back pain, seven of 14 national and international guidelines recommend their use in…

Trio Wins Chemistry Nobel for Work on Antibody Drugs & Detergents

Daniel Dickson and Ben Hirschler  |  

STOCKHOLM/LONDON (Reuters)—Two Americans and a Briton won the 2018 Nobel Prize for Chemistry on Wednesday for harnessing the power of evolution to generate novel proteins used in everything from environmentally friendly detergents and biofuels to cancer drugs. The fruits of this work include the world’s top-selling prescription medicine – the antibody injection Humira sold by…

Reap the Rewards of State Society Involvement

  |  

Getting involved with your state society offers many benefits, from personal pride and group engagement, to “promoting good ideas, as well as stopping bad ideas from becoming laws that can harm your patients,” says Robert Levin, MD, immediate past president of the Florida Society of Rheumatology (FSR). That’s why he has been involved in leadership…

RISE Dashboard Updates Help Users Report 2018 MIPS Data

  |  

As the year begins to wind down, Zach McMurray is gearing up for 2018 MIPS reporting. Despite the “always changing and usually confusing landscape of MACRA/MIPS,” he says his practice isn’t worried because it uses the ACR’s Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) qualified clinical data registry. Mr. McMurray is director of clinical information systems…

RISE Up & Learn: Opportunities to Learn More

  |  

The Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry is a constantly evolving resource, and many valuable offerings are being made available at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Chicago. Here’s a list of things you won’t want to miss: RISE Booth in the Discovery Center Join RISE at the ACR Discovery Center inside the exhibit…

Physical & Cognitive Function in SLE Patients

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

New research used multidomain function assessment to better understand the physical and cognitive functioning of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The pilot study found a high prevalence of impairment in SLE patients, similar to or exceeding the prevalence seen in the general geriatric population. Patients scored lower for lower body strength and low average for cognitive flexibility and attention…