A recent study, conducted by the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium and funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), examined whether the addition of abatacept, a drug that affects T cell activation, to standard prednisone treatment could reduce the risk of relapse in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA).1 Although…
The Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) Registry is the ACR’s registry for quality improvement and reporting. Aggregated statistics and trends seen in the RISE Registry will be published monthly in The Rheumatologist. If you have questions about quality reporting, are interested in enrolling in RISE or would like to use data from RISE for…
The Rheumatology Research Foundation hosted the 10th Annual Investigators’ Meeting in St. Louis, June 24–25. The meeting provides Foundation-funded investigators an opportunity to learn about recent findings and research projects, network, exchange ideas and collaborate on future projects. More than 30 rheumatology professionals were in attendance, with presentations from 21 investigators. James O’Dell, MD, professor…
Current participants of the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) Registry can now access the RISE dashboard and receive an estimated MIPS score for the 2017 performance year. (Note: This score is only an estimation and cannot guarantee the type of future payment adjustment; only CMS can determine penalties and bonuses.) If you are a current user,…
Despite the wide spread adoption of electronic health records, many systems are unable to exchange data, creating the potential for fragmented care. New research examined the effect of care fragmentation on patients with SLE in the Chicago HealthLNK Data Repository, finding that care fragmentation plays an independent role in an increased frequency of infection and disease-related morbidity damage. Researchers also found a relationship between care fragmentation, race and public insurance…
Nationally, opioid use and addiction are drawing increased scrutiny. An increase in the number of overdoses and addiction to heroin and prescription pain relievers in the past decade has been attributed in part to increased prescribing of opioids for the treatment of pain by physicians. National trends suggest the rate of opioid prescribing plateaued in…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Tofacitinib begun two to three weeks after live zoster vaccination does not impair immunogenicity, and vaccination appears to be safe in patients with pre-existing varicella zoster virus (VZV) immunity, researchers report. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are about twice as likely as healthy adults to develop herpes zoster, or shingles, and the…
(Reuters Health)—Workers exposed to airborne toxins may have an elevated risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an immune system disorder that causes debilitating swelling and pain in the joints, a Swedish study suggests. Among men, bricklayers, concrete workers and electricians had at least twice the risk of RA they would have in certain other occupations,…
For years, guidelines from various organizations have recommended osteoporosis screening in women and men starting at a specific age or based on specific risk factors. Among these guidelines are those developed by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that recommend universal osteoporosis screening for women 65 years of age and older and for targeted…
Despite the innovations of new biologics and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, a large unmet need remains for patients with rheumatic autoimmune disease. Treatment remains limited for many conditions, including for conditions with a dim prognosis, such as systemic sclerosis.1 One promising treatment avenue is hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). Here, we provide background on HSCT for severe…