Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

Republican Bill to Repeal Obamacare Teeters on Edge of Collapse

Susan Cornwell & Richard Cowan  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The latest Republican effort to repeal former U.S. President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law faced possible defeat this week as several senators in the party voiced concerns about the bill under consideration. The U.S. Senate is up against a Saturday deadline for deciding the fate of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, popularly known as…

Lupus Incidence, Prevalence Differ by Race

Loraine L. Janeczko  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Racial and ethnic disparities in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) incidence and prevalence are considerable, according to two new studies of data from California and Manhattan. “The most important finding of the population-based California and New York registries is the confirmation of the racial and ethnic disparities of SLE, with the highest incidence…

Undetected Fractures Linked to Back Pain in Older Men

Shereen Lehman  |  

(Reuters Health)—About three in five older men with tiny spinal fractures related to osteoporosis reported new or worsening back pain in a new study. Only about one-quarter of new vertebral fractures are diagnosed by a doctor, the study team writes in their September 7 online report in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, though the…

Many Drug Companies Fail to Conduct Timely Safety Checks on Medicines after FDA Approval

Gene Emery  |  

(Reuters Health)—In the rush to approve new medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration often requires drug companies to study possible side effects and alternative doses for medicines once they hit the broader market. A September 20 online analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine concludes that, in many cases, that’s not being done….

State Funding Changes in Spotlight in U.S. Republican Healthcare Bill

Susan Heavey & Yasmeen Abutaleb  |  

WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Republican leaders sought to nail down the final votes needed to pass what U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday called their “last best chance” to repeal Obamacare while a new analysis underscored how Democratic-leaning states stand to lose large amounts of federal funding under the legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans…

Advances in Education for Rheumatology Health Professionals: A Review & an Opportunity

Courtesy of the ARHP Practice Committee  |  

Educational opportunities for health professionals are expanding. At this year’s Annual Meeting, don’t miss a historic joint session from the ARHP and the Canada-based Arthritis Health Professions Association about the advances in and effects of these educational opportunities on rheumatology…

Inflammatory Spinal Disorders Common in IBD Patients

Anne Harding  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) and inflammatory back pain are common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients two decades after IBD diagnosis, according to findings from the IBSEN study1. Doctors should know IBD patients are at risk of inflammatory back problems, and refer them to a rheumatologist when appropriate, Dr. Alvilde Ossum…

Reassuring Data on Cancer Risk with Contemporary RA Drugs

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A large Swedish study1 provides reassuring data on the risk of cancer in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors or with tocilizumab, abatacept or rituximab. Overall, the risk of malignant neoplasms did not differ between patients treated with a first anti-TNF drug; a second anti-TNF drug; tocilizumab,…