Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) can cause fibroinflammatory lesions in nearly any organ, and diagnosis is challenging. ACR/EULAR classification criteria for IgG4-RD have been developed and validated in a large cohort of patients. These criteria have performed well in tests and should contribute substantially to future clinical, epidemiologic and basic science investigations.
The Plight of the Retail Pharmacist
She wanted me to call in an antibiotic. My sister, a lawyer, often tells me how the ethics of her profession govern even her extra-professional acts. She feels that when she was sworn into the New York State bar, she lost the freedom to bend the truth. She would never, for example, attempt to smuggle…
Risankizumab Demonstrates Superiority to Secukinumab for Plaque Psoriasis
In a phase 3, comparator study in adults with plaque psoriasis, patients taking
risankizumab achieved greater skin clearance than those taking secukinumab…
FDA Advisory Committees Reject Oxycodegol (NKTR-181) Application
FDA advisory committees rejected the new drug application for oxycodegol, an opioid analgesic, due to a lack of data regarding it’s potential for abuse…
The ACR Introduces a New Reproductive Health Guideline
Reproductive health can be a concern for patients with rheumatic diseases, and practitioners in both rheumatology and obstetrics/gynecology often work closely together. The 2020 ACR Guideline for the Management of Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases, new clinical recommendations developed by an ACR-convened group for pregnant women, post-menopausal women, lactating women, and women and…
The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index’s History & Patient View
Sir William Osler, widely regarded as one of the greatest physicians of the 20th century, once said, “He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.”1 This sentiment is particularly true in the field of rheumatology, in which understanding the…
Gut Instinct: Ankylosing Spondylitis & the Microbiome
CHICAGO—At the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, an annual gathering featuring talks by key opinion leaders on the most salient topics for practicing rheumatologists and healthcare providers, Jose U. Scher, MD, director of the Microbiome Center for Rheumatology and Autoimmunity at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York City, was the featured speaker. In his remarks,…
FDA Update: New Drug Approvals, New & Expanded Indications, & More
ATLANTA—New drug approvals, new and expanded drug indications, and important safety and other updates relevant for rheumatologists were presented by three physicians from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on Nov. 11 at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting. New JAK Inhibitor Approved for RA On Aug. 16, 2019, the FDA approved upadacitinib (Rinvoq), an…
A Public Health Approach to Arthritis
ATLANTA—Rheumatic diseases have been the subject of a range of public health campaigns and reports over the past decade, but improving their visibility remains a work in progress, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expert said at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting. A growing attention to pain and the opioid crisis may help…
Can Lupus Be Prevented? Research Reveals Clues to Who’s Most Likely to Transition to Classified Disease
How does a patient transition from health to active SLE? This question is the crux of the research conducted by Judith A. James, MD, PhD, and colleagues…
Experts Discuss Current Insurance Issues Challenging Rheumatology
ATLANTA—From step therapy requirements to infusion center locations to evaluation and management coding, insurance issues bring frequent headaches to clinicians and patients. Experts discussed some of the most recent concerns in a session at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting. Chris Phillips, MD, chair of the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee (ISC), and Gary Bryant, MD, delegate to…
Premenopausal Osteoporosis Poses Special Clinical Challenges
ATLANTA—Osteoporosis in premenopausal women is uncommon compared with its frequency in post-menopausal women, but when it is suspected, it poses some difficult questions for clinicians: How should it be diagnosed in this understudied population? If found, should it be treated—and how? Elizabeth Shane, MD, professor of medicine at Columbia University and attending physician at New…
10 Characteristics of Good Mentoring: Tips for What Mentees Need from Their Mentors
Antony Rosen, MBChB, describes the 10 essential characteristics of good mentorship…
Pearls & Myths: Experts Offer Advice & Dispel Myths
GCA, GPA, myositis, new research—rheumatology care keeps clinicians on their toes & requires them to stay up to date…
Clinicians Discuss Current & Future Rheumatoid Arthritis Approaches
ATLANTA—When it comes to treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, most clinicians agree: One size does not fit all. Many treatment options exist, and seldom is there 100% consensus on what the first course of action or general approach should be. In the face of such variability, four clinicians took the stage at the 2019 ACR/ARP…
Harnessing Genomics in the Rare Diseases Realm
ATLANTA—The increasing ease and the lowering cost of genome and exome sequencing make discovery and diagnosis of rare diseases more feasible than ever, but hurdles still need to be cleared before the world of medicine can fully harness the power of this information boom, experts said in a session at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting….
Data for Better Patient Care: As the RISE Registry Expands, So Do Its Ambitions
Learn what RISE has to offer and how it’s growing.
Pediatric Cases Require Special Considerations & Aggressive Treatment Plans
ATLANTA—Managing pediatric patients with rheumatic disease involves special considerations, such as developmental concerns and physiological traits that may affect dosing of medications, according to two experts. During a session at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, Courtney Kremer, ARNP, a pediatric nurse practitioner at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, and Jessica…
Winter 2020’s Awards, Appointments & Announcements in Rheumatology
2019 Lupus Foundation of America Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Awards Emily Smitherman, MD, assistant professor, pediatric rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Children’s of Alabama, one of four recipients of the Gary S. Gilkeson Career Development Awards, is interested in identifying predictors for differences in disease activity within the pediatric population. To accomplish…
In Memoriam: Calvin R. Brown Jr., MD
Calvin R. Brown Jr., MD, of Chicago, passed away Dec. 1, 2019. He was 66 years old. In the course of a medical career, you meet dozens of people who impact you in one way or another. Patients, professors, fellow students, colleagues in your practice—all help shape who we become as a physician. Sometimes, though,…