Education with recommended first-line care may not improve pain outcomes in patients with acute low back pain. When comparing patients who received education with those who received professional consultation without information or advice, researchers found patient education was no more effective than placebo at reducing depression or incidence of chronic low back pain…
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with high rates of cardiovascular disease. However, research has shown that aggressive risk assessment with lipid screenings and treatment with statins may be suboptimal for these patients. A new study compared the rates of screening and treatment between SLE patients, diabetes mellitus patients and the general Medicaid population. The results: Despite having an elevated risk of CVD, SLE patients received less lipid testing and fewer statin prescriptions than other patients…
The Rheumatology Research Foundation’s Honorary Board of Advisors is reserved exclusively for individuals who have made a transformative contribution, via a significant donation or through leadership, leaving an indelible mark on the organization’s future fundraising success. This year, Audrey M. Nelson, MD, from the Mayo Clinic, and ACR Executive Vice President Mark Andrejeski were named…
An analysis of treat-to-target therapy assessing two ultrasound definitions of remission for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has concluded that using ultrasound remission as a target was not associated with better long-term outcomes for RA patients.1 Compared with MRI, ultrasound costs less, is more accessible and offers the ability to scan more joints in…
CHICAGO—Findings on opioid efficacy, serum urate in osteoarthritis and arthrocentesis headlined the top research of the year discussed in the first half of a session at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. The second half covered basic science findings, including summaries of new insights into the gender bias in autoimmune diseases, platelet microparticles in scleroderma and…
Genes may predispose people to have certain microbial signatures in their gut that, in turn, make them susceptible to developing reactive arthritis. This is the main finding of a recent study in which researchers investigated whether perturbations in the intestinal microbiome play a role in susceptibility to reactive arthritis in the face of triggers, such…
ACR guidelines include recommendations for the management of patients with particular conditions or diseases. Guidelines are developed using a systematic process and are based on available evidence and the clinical experience and expertise of rheumatologists and other interested stakeholders. In the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology, Arthritis Care & Research and the Journal of…
Varicella-zoster-virus (VZV) reactivation, which can cause patients to develop herpes zoster (i.e., shingles), occurs more frequently in patients with systemic vasculitis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who have received intravenous cyclophosphamide than in otherwise healthy adults, according to a retrospective study published in The Journal of Rheumatology by researchers in France.1 The study also shows…
LONDON (Reuters)—Scientists exploring what may trigger chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have found clues in the way some people’s immune systems respond to interferon alpha.1 The researchers used the drug to create a model of the disease in people without CFS but with hepatitis C. Many patients who receive interferon alpha experience extreme fatigue during treatment,…
Researchers sought to identify predictors of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) who took rituximab for maintenance had a better sustained remission rate through 60 months than those taking azathioprine, according to the latest results from the maintenance of remission using rituximab in systemic ANCA-associated vasculitis (MAINRITSAN) trial, a prospective, randomized trial…