Big data can benefit rheumatology research. But according to experts at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, the data must first be accessible, interoperable and shareable…

Subcategories:EthicsLegal UpdatesLegislation & AdvocacyResearch Rheum
The ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice, a video
In collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians, the ACR released two new comprehensive guidelines aimed at improving the screening, monitoring, and treatment of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Recently, Sindhu R. Johnson, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada, director of the Toronto Scleroderma Program and principal investigator for the guideline, and Elana J. Bernstein, MD, MSc, Florence Irving associate professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Columbia University, New York City, and co-first author, presented a webinar to talk about how the guidelines were developed and present some of the recommendations and their rationale: Watch the recording now!

Big data can benefit rheumatology research. But according to experts at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, the data must first be accessible, interoperable and shareable…
The ACR’s Committee on Rheumatologic Care (CORC) has been busy on many fronts, including establishing new position statements for the College, introducing new practice perspectives and engaging multiple stakeholders in actions to protect and enhance rheumatology practice, such as with payers. “CORC ensures the rheumatology voice is heard in all of the most critical venues,”…
Arthritis Care & Research |
Low muscle density due to the accumulation of intramuscular fat has been observed in RA patients and is associated with higher disease activity. New research sought to understand the relationship between muscle density, physical function and strength independent of body composition, including such factors as total and visceral adiposity. The results: Compared with healthy controls, low muscle density in RA patients was associated with low muscle mass, excess adiposity and greater disability…

The Rheumatology Research Foundation has embarked on its third and most ambitious fundraising campaign, with a goal of raising $75 million. The Leading Boldly: Transforming Rheumatology campaign will support Foundation programs to recruit the best and brightest into the field, train rheumatology health professionals at all career stages and support investigators conducting research that will…

Catherine Kolonko |
Researchers say a study of individual antibody response to citrullinated and non-citrullinated proteins in sputum samples further supports the importance of the lung in early development of rheumatoid arthritis-related autoimmunity. Investigation of the fundamental mechanism that leads to antibody responses in rheumatoid arthritis is key to uncovering ways to predict and prevent the development of…

A study published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research may be the first to examine the long-term outcomes of childhood-onset lupus, otherwise known as pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disease with a highly variable clinical course. Previous studies examined cross-sectional views of damage accrued. According to the Childhood…

David C. Holzman |
Indigenous communities in Latin America lack good healthcare—and often lack any healthcare—for musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases.1 Global health initiatives tend to focus on infectious disease, despite the increasing rate of chronic diseases. In a survey of 6,155 individuals from eight indigenous communities, conducted by a team of Latin American investigators, the prevalence of these conditions…

Larry Beresford |
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), like other inflammatory diseases, has been associated with increased incidence for and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD), the most common comorbidity leading to death in many conditions treated by rheumatologists. But beyond recognizing the burden of increased inflammation, the mechanisms behind this association are not well understood, says M. Elaine Husni, MD,…

Currently, treatment options for patients with peripheral spondyloarthritis, which includes psoriatic arthritis and non-psoriatic types, are limited. Philippe Carron, MD, Department of Rheumatology, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium, says, “One of the problems we encounter in the daily management of peripheral spondyloarthritis is that we have no other therapeutic options in patients refractory to NSAIDs [non-steroidal…

Recent studies point to a relationship between scleroderma and autoantibodies (e.g., anti-RNA polymerase III or anti-RNPC3), and an increased cancer risk within a short interval of scleroderma onset. Mechanistic studies provide further evidence that cancer may trigger scleroderma in patients with these autoantibodies. However, many questions remain unanswered. A study in the Annals of the…