MoCA as a Screening Test in SLE Assessing the utility of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) By Oshrat E. Tayer-Shifman, MD, Kimberley Yuen, BSc, MD, & Zahi Touma, MD, PhD, FACP, FACR Why was this study done? Cognitive impairment is a common manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with a prevalence of 40% based on…
Seppen et al. developed a smartphone application for patients with RA to assess the safety and efficacy of patient-initiated care, compared with usual care. By answering a weekly Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) questionnaire, patients were able to monitor their own disease activity between clinic visits.
During ACR Convergence 2022 in early November, the ACR and the ARP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care. This month, The Rheumatologist profiles the recipients of the ARP President’s and Merit Awards. ARP PRESIDENT’S AWARDS The ARP president can choose to honor ACR/ARP…
A study from Glerup et al. demonstrated that many patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis achieved drug-free remission over 18 years of follow-up and that remission rates remained stable between years 8 and 18 of the study period.
High-quality mentoring is perhaps the most recognized ingredient to a successful career, one that remains little understood. Here, we present a brief overview of the elements of successful mentor-mentee relationships for clinicians and scientists in rheumatology. We discuss the importance of mentorship and characteristics of good mentoring, and offer our personal reflections as both mentees…
The mission of the Rheumatology Research Foundation, a division of the ACR, is to advance research and training to improve the health of patients living with rheumatic disease. It supports career advancement, mentorship, professional development and education of professionals working in the disciplines essential to these patients.1 “The Foundation understands that the support of Association…
Similar patterns of inflammation occur in the joints of patients with inflammatory arthritis, but in each individual, arthritis affects only a subset of possible anatomic areas. Chang et al. set out to identify patient-specific anatomic patterns of joint flare to distinguish local from systemic drivers of chronic disease.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard imaging modality for the detection of sacroiliitis, a hallmark of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). However, the specificity of MRI for axSpA has been questioned. Renson et al. found that structural MRI-detected SI joint lesions are frequently seen in healthy individuals.
Using data from cohorts with detailed lifestyle data and lengthy follow-up, Hahn et al. demonstrated that healthy lifestyle behaviors are associated with a lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), concluding that a substantial proportion of RA may be preventable.
1) Obesity & Treatment Response in RA Obesity & response to advanced therapies in rheumatoid arthritis Why was this study done? There have been questions regarding whether certain therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are less effective in patients with obesity, particularly for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, because adipose tissue is known to generate TNF,…