Vanessa Caceres is a freelance medical writer and editor based in Florida. She has a BA in journalism and psychology and a Master's degree in teaching English as a second language/bilingual education. She writes regularly for ophthalmology and rheumatology physician publications, as well as other specialties.
It’s no secret to any health professional, including rheumatologists, that smoking cigarettes or using other tobacco-based products is unhealthy. Yet how does smoking specifically affect rheumatic diseases, and what are some of the newest findings in this area? What role do e-cigarettes have in the smoking risk landscape? Those are the sorts of questions asked…
The incidence of lupus nephritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has decreased over the past 50 years, according to a study from Gabriella Moroni, who works in the Nephrology Unit at Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milano, Italy.1 Typically, renal involvement is part of the disease course for two-thirds of…
A patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) comes to your office and needs a medication. You prescribe it, and the patient’s insurance plan covers it. The patient begins the medication and slowly but surely feels better. Prescribing drugs for a patient should be this simple but rarely is, thanks to the high cost of drugs and…
Rheumatologists and orthopedic surgeons must frequently collaborate to provide optimal patient care. Sometimes, they may even work at the same practice and form a care team for easy collaboration. Still, patient management from both specialties can be challenging, and specialists from both sides can learn from each other. How Crossover Starts Rheumatologists and orthopedic surgeons…
Rheumatological diseases can be complex, so how can those within the specialty help ensure information about rheumatology shared by the media is accurate? Cue the ACR/ARHP Experts on Call program, which is designed to connect rheumatology health professionals with journalists looking for subject matter experts. Experts on Call is managed by the ACR’s Public Relations…
After total hip or knee arthroplasty, flares are common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a recently published study.1 Higher disease activity at baseline appears to be linked to flares, but use of such medications as biologics and methotrexate did not independently predict flaring. “Contrary to the notion that patients with established RA…
In your daily contact with rheumatology patients, you likely come across several who have type 1 or 2 diabetes. Are you doing all you can to maximize their treatment? Most physicians know about the damaging health effects of uncontrolled diabetes. From vision loss to kidney failure to nerve damage, those with diabetes require regular vigilance…
A person living with lupus may feel isolated. They receive information from their doctor, but it’s never enough to fully understand the disease. So where do they turn? Social media, where they can connect, share information and learn. A new social media initiative, Hablemos de Lupus—which translates to Let’s Talk About Lupus—focuses on sharing…
When a patient has fibromyalgia, sleep troubles are the last thing they need. Unfortunately, sleep problems affect a large number of fibromyalgia patients, and those problems can turn into a vicious cycle that interplays with daytime pain and fatigue. “Pain and sleep disturbances are a double-edged sword,” says Elika Kormeili, MFT, a licensed clinical psychologist…
As questions about biosimilar medications swirl among U.S. rheumatologists, a recently released report sheds some light on the European experience with biosimilars—and may offer some important insights for the U.S. market. The report, Biosimilars in the EU: Information Guide for Healthcare Professionals, was released in late April by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the…