In this episode of his monthly video series for The Rheumatologist, physician editor Dr. Bharat Kumar talks about isolation and its impact on our patients with rheumatic disease, and the rheumatologist’s role in combating it.
Precision Medicine Study Examines Blood-Based Immunophenotyping in Patients with RA
For patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), analyzing immune cell diversity in peripheral blood revealed five major immunotype groups, each exhibiting a different response to various biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). This is according to a 2024 study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Disease that aimed to stratify the patients based on…
Rheuminations: Lessons from 5 Years of COVID-19
My children were playing in the car the other day and pulled open the glove box. Inside, they found a brown paper bag with my last name “KUMAR” in black Sharpie and a red sticker that read, “Do not lose. No replacements available.” It wasn’t long before the kids tore that bag apart to find…
President’s Corner: Fellows & Masters Contribute to Our Community
Fellows and masters, members at different stages in their careers, are both important to rheumatology. During the year I co-chaired the Membership and Awards Committee with ARP President Adam Goode , PT, DPT, PhD, I gained an even greater appreciation of the essential roles that fellows and masters both play in shaping our specialty, as…
Experts Discuss Guidelines for Interstitial Lung Disease in Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease
Over 50% of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) develop interstitial lung disease (ILD), and rheumatologists have long recognized this major cause of morbidity and mortality.1 Sindhu R. Johnson, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada, and director of the Toronto Scleroderma Program, notes that more recent studies have increased our awareness…
The Transition from a Rheumatology Fellowship to Private Practice
The transition from being a rheumatology fellow to being in private practice is significant. As I reflect on the past two years, I want to share my observations and begin a conversation about how to prepare rheumatology fellows for careers as practicing rheumatologists. The difference between learning about rheumatology and practicing rheumatology is nuanced. Upon…
Potential Biologic Drug Treatment for IgG4-RD Identified
Inebilizumab reduces the risk of immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) flares and increases the likelihood of flare-free, complete remission at one year, a recent study shows.1 The randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled MITIGATE trial showed that inebilizumab reduced the risk of IgG4-RD symptoms by 87%, compared with placebo. About IgG4-RD IgG4-RD is chronic, rare condition that has, so…
Cannabis for Pain Management in Rheumatology
‘Cannabis has a long history of being used for pain management,’ says Physician Editor Bharat Kumar, MD, MME, FACP, FAAAAI, RhMSUS. ‘What does it mean for rheumatology patients moving forward? Read our article for one answer to this question.’ As cannabis becomes more widely legalized, both in the U.S. and internationally, its use for pain…
ACR Image Competition 2024 Results, Part 4
For the 2024 Image Competition, the ACR sought images with educational or remarkable manifestations representing a diverse range of pediatric patients with autoimmune, inflammatory, infectious and malignant drivers of rheumatic disease. Here, we showcase the winning images from the Middle East and North Africa. Lipoma Arborescens Revealed A 10-year-old boy, presented with a five-year history…
Global Summit Addresses Worldwide Rheumatology Workforce Challenges
Rheumatology workforce challenges are a global concern. Many challenges, especially the lack of trained rheumatology clinicians, are similar among countries and regions of the world, while others differ. The 2024 ACR Global Summit session on workforce featured a discussion by representatives of regional rheumatology organizations and the ACR addressing issues central to developing and retaining…
Reproductive Health, Biosimilars & More in Focus at SOTA 2025
Reproductive health, biosimilars, IgG4-related disease and much more—five speakers give us a sneak peek into important topics being addressed at the ACR’s 2025 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, April 4–6.
Is It Behcet’s? Review Course Offers Diagnosis Tips
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Behçet’s disease (BD) is not a common condition, but we frequently receive referrals to evaluate for it in rheumatology clinics because a patient has oral or genital ulcers. So what’s Behçet’s and what’s not? How can we tell the difference? At the ACR Convergence 2024 Review Course, Johannes Nowatzky, MD, director, New York University…
The ABCs of RCTs
At this ACR Convergence 2024 session, experts discussed new and creative ways to design trials to account for real-world scenarios and to produce information relevant to practicing clinicians.
Patients with RA in the Setting of Cardiovascular Disease
How can we best care for our patients from a joint & cardiovascular perspective? That’s the question Christina Charles-Schoeman, MD, MS, professor of medicine and chief, Division of Rheumatology, University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Santa Monica, Calif., addressed in a session at ACR Convergence 2024.
Rheum After 5: Embracing Their Inner Swiftie
Marked by their passionate support of Taylor Swift, several rheumatologists, rheumatology professionals and ACR staff who identify as Swifties spoke to us about their in-depth knowledge of Swift’s music and active engagement in fan discussions and events.
mRNA CAR T Cell Therapy Receives FDA’s Rare Pediatric Designation to Treat Juvenile Dermatomyositis
FDA has granted Descartes-08, an mRNA chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy, a rare pediatric disease designation for the treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis.