Focus Rheums| Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? (video)

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

Gene Expression Signature Useful for Diagnosing Kawasaki Disease

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A 13-transcript whole-blood gene expression signature accurately differentiates Kawasaki disease (KD) from other febrile conditions in children, researchers report. “We believe it is feasible to turn the signature into a diagnostic test,” Dr. Michael Levin from Imperial College London, London, tells Reuters Health by email. “There are a range of methods to…

Women Internists Make 80 Cents for Every Dollar Earned by Men

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—In internal medicine, women earn less than men even when they’re in the same specialty and working the same hours in similar types of medical practices, a U.S. study suggests. Overall, half of male internists have annual salaries of at least $250,000, compared with $200,000 for female internists, the analysis of survey data from…

ACR Leads Fight Against Proposed Reimbursement Cuts to E/M Services

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On July 12, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its proposed plan for changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2019.1 Citing the need to reduce paperwork and improve patient care, the CMS detailed a number of changes to payments physicians receive from Medicare that could have a significant impact on…

Effects of Obesity on Sustained Remission in Early RA

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

A new study examined the independent effects of excess weight and obesity on achieving sustained remission in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Researchers found that within three years of RA diagnosis, overweight and obese patients were significantly less likely to achieve sustained remission than patients with healthy body mass indices (BMIs). Higher BMIs were also associated with persistent disease activity…

ACR Advocates for Access to Viscosupplementation for OA

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In several U.S. states, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and other insurers have dropped or are considering dropping coverage of hyaluronic acid injection—or viscosupplementation—for patients with knee osteoarthritis. The decision appears to be based on guidelines published by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2013, which at that time specified that research had not found hyaluronic…

ACR Seeks CMS Exemption to Perform Synovial Fluid Crystal Analysis

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Marcus Snow, MD, is a rheumatologist in a multispecialty clinic in Nebraska. During the average day, the nephrologist in his clinic can assess urinary sediment. The urologist can examine semen specimens for viability. However, despite clinical training and competency, Dr. Snow and his rheumatology colleagues cannot perform synovial fluid crystal analysis for their patients. The…

Dietary Recommendations for Psoriasis Patients

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The National Psoriasis Foundation says weight loss and other dietary interventions may benefit psoriasis patients. New recommendations note the benefits of a gluten-free diet for patients who test positive for gluten sensitivity, but also found little evidence to support the use of fish oil supplements for psoriasis patients…

Statins Linked to Idiopathic Inflammatory Myositis

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Statin use is associated with an increased likelihood of developing idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM), researchers from Australia report. “[Although] the incidence of IIM is rare, with the increasing use of statins worldwide and the severity of this condition, this study highlights the need for increased awareness of the condition and the importance…