In light of new challenges to individuals’ reproductive rights and the known challenges of clinical management of rheumatic disease patients during pregnancy, we review the current state of reproductive rheumatology and the management of patients with rheumatic disease during pregnancy.
Evidence of Things Not Seen: The Match, Vienna & Unknown Unknowns
It is better to be feared than loved. The associate dean of student affairs at my medical school embraced this motto. Although the dean of the medical school was titularly in charge, it was the associate dean who kept the school running. And we all feared her, just a little bit. Without ever raising her…
Rheumatologists Can & Should Help Combat Medical Misinformation
The Surgeon General has identified medical misinformation as a major public health threat, and many professional societies, including the American Medical Association, have called for action to combat it,” writes Richard J. Baron, MD, American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) chief executive officer, and Yul D. Ejnes, MD, ABIM’s board chair, in The New England…
3 New Study Summaries from AC&R: Obesity in RA, CPDD Risk Factors & SLE Disparities
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,…
A Primer on Copay Accumulator Programs
The growing use of copay accumulator programs, which restrict the application of patient assistance funds toward cost-sharing requirements, hurts patient access to life-changing treatments. This was one topic discussed during the ACR’s Advocacy Leadership Conference in D.C. this May.
ACR Image Competition 2021 Results, Part 6
Featured Image from Europe & Central Asia Rheumatic Diseases of Childhood: Scleroderma These images depict a patient with a clinical presentation of juvenile dermatomyositis with typical skin manifestations of Gottron’s papules over the extensor surfaces of the joints, as well as hyperpigmentation. Yulia Vyzhga, MD, PhD, is a pediatric rheumatologist at National Pirogov Memorial Medical…
An Evidence-Based Drug Update & Guidance for Rheumatologists
ORLANDO—Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the past two years have been exciting for rheumatology providers and patients. We’ve seen the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approve new therapies and expand indications for established drugs. At the 2022 ACR Education Exchange, Jeffrey Curtis, MD, MS, MPH, Marguerite Jones Harbert-Gene Ball Endowed professor of medicine, Division of…
Clinical Guidance & Recommendation Updates for Vasculitis, axSpA & More
In this EULAR 2022 session, new & revised treatment recommendations for ANCA-associated vasculitis, axial spondyloarthritis & rheumatoid arthritis were presented.
Never Too Late: Late-Breaking Abstracts Create Excitement
EULAR 2022 (VIRTUAL)—The pace of scientific progress in research medicine is incredible and seems to only accelerate with time. Thus, the 2022 Congress of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) session on late-breaking abstracts fittingly captured the excitement and timeliness of a number of research projects that have just recently been completed and…
Late Summer 2022’s Awards, Appointments & Announcements in Rheumatology
Charles G. Helmick III, MD, Retires After 42 Years with the CDC On Dec. 31, 2021, after 42 years of service, Charles (Chad) G. Helmick III, MD (Capt., USPHS, Ret.), officially retired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He joined the CDC in 1979, when Jimmy Carter was president, and served through eight…