Patients with severe RA can struggle with walking, getting dressed, carrying items and more, all of which can negatively affect their quality of life. But according to Bharat Kumar, MD, service dogs can help RA patients by providing both physical and emotional support, aiding patient mobility and quality of life…
Arthritis prevalence in the U.S. population has been substantially underestimated, especially among adults younger than 65.
A recent study has shed light on the role of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in SLE pathogenesis. In particular, patients with lupus nephritis have an abundance of 24 miRNAs, many of which play a role in regulatory feedback loops…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm former pharmaceutical industry executive and lobbyist Alex Azar as the next Health and Human Services secretary. Azar will oversee the Trump administration’s response to the opioid epidemic, its efforts to weaken the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare, and address rising prescription drug prices. The Senate…
(Reuters)—Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday its biosimilar of Roche’s Rituxan was as effective as the original drug in treating patients with a type of follicular lymphoma, meeting the main goal of a study. The success of Pfizer’s biosimilar comes as Rituxan’s U.S. patent is set to expire later this year. The drug had raked in…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant-cell arteritis (GCA) have similarly increased risks of fracture, compared with the general population, researchers have found. “It is of surprise that patients with GCA have a similar fracture risk to those with PMR,” Dr. Zoe Paskins from Keele University, in Staffordshire, told Reuters Health by…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Pneumococcal vaccination yields a satisfactory antibody response in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), but synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) might reduce the vaccine response in these individuals, according to a report from Sweden. The prospective study, published online Jan. 8 in Rheumatology, evaluated the response to either pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) or…
(Reuters)—A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday upheld a ruling that invalidated a crucial Johnson & Johnson patent on its blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, Remicade (infliximab), limiting J&J’s ability to seek damages from Pfizer Inc. over its launch of a lower-cost version of the drug. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said on Tuesday it had changed a regulation to allow more healthcare professionals to prescribe a medication used to treat opioid addiction, opening up access in rural America where there are few doctors.1 Prior to 2000, only physicians could treat those with opioid addiction and had to register with…
A lack of quality sleep may exacerbate depression and pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to Michael R. Irwin, MD. Here are some tips for rheumatologists on how to discuss sleep with patients and help patients reduce sleep disturbance…