New research has demonstrated that a high-salt diet may increase the differentiation of follicular helper T cells (Tfh). A high-salt diet also increased lupus features in MRL/lpr mice, suggesting that the genes that increased expression in response to salt intake were similar to the genes that had increased expression in lupus CD4+ T cells…
(Reuters Health)—Seniors who get behind the wheel soon after starting to use narcotic pain relievers have twice the risk of getting into a serious car crash as their peers who use non-opioid painkillers, Swedish researchers say. Senior drivers who’d been using opioid painkillers regularly for several months also had higher odds of getting into accidents,…
(Reuters Health)—Seniors who receive prescriptions for opioid drugs to control pain after major surgery don’t usually end up addicted to them, research from Canada shows. One year after having major surgery, less than 1% of patients over age 66 were still taking opioids, according to a report in JAMA Surgery. Recent research has suggested the…
Pegloticase is a new alternative therapy for patients with severe, refractory gout unresponsive to other urate-lowering agents. The goal of this therapy is to reduce disease burden, tophi size and frequency of flares and to improve quality of life when other treatments have failed. Persistent lowering of plasma uric acid (PUA) to less than 6…
When uric acid becomes elevated in the human body, a variety of problems can develop, most notably gout—a painful, inflammatory arthritis caused by uric acid crystal deposition in joints. Chronically elevated uric acid can also lead to painful kidney stones. The majority of patients found to have hyperuricemia, however, never go on to develop gout…
Should cell phones and other personal devices be used for work communications in a medical practice? According to one expert, these devices are a liability to rheumatologists and other providers, who should develop and enforce strict guidelines in their practices…
Cross Reactions A recent study published online in March in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases investigated if the infliximab biosimilar (CT-P13, infliximab-dyyb), which is marketed in Europe as Inflectra and Remsima, can be safely and effectively substituted for infliximab (Remicade).1 Infliximab and its biosimilar are manufactured via the same process. Researchers set out to…
A 52-year-old woman comes to the office complaining of a two-month history of pain and swelling in the small joints of her hands, feet and knees. She says, “Doctor, I’ve been searching the Internet, and I think I have rheumatoid arthritis. I have some questions for you.” The healthcare system in the U.S. is changing…
CHICAGO—Medicine is in the middle of an infectious-disease “revolution” that seems almost destined to lead to prevention through immunization of many diseases, including rheumatic illnesses, that never were previously thought to involve transmissible agents, an infectious disease specialist said in a session at the ACR’s 2016 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. An array of unlikely and fascinating…
CHICAGO—Researchers have come to know a great deal about IgG4-related disease in a short amount of time, leading to effective treatments with the prospect for more, an expert said at the 2016 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. “One of the most exciting things for me is how quickly we’ve been able to move in understanding this disease,”…