The COVID-19 pandemic changed pretty much every facet of human activity, from home life to social interactions to the workplace. Medicine and research kept up a dizzying pace throughout the pandemic, with physicians and researchers working clinic hours even if they were able to use telemedicine to do some of their work from home. For…
On July 20, 1969, at 10:56 p.m. EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped off the lunar landing module, Eagle, and walked on the moon.1 Or so they would have you believe. For most, the basic facts are not in dispute: On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech to a joint session…
We are now a year-and-a-half into the COVID‑19 pandemic, and rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals are still facing some of the same challenges that began in spring 2020, as well as new ones. Most recently, we learned that COVID‑19 vaccine efficacy is reduced in some patients on immunosuppressive therapies and the need for additional immunization is…
The ACR sent a letter to CVS Caremark detailing how recent updates to its prior authorization forms for many biologic drugs are increasing the paperwork burden for rheumatology practices and hurting patients’ timely access to treatment.
At a recent ACR town hall, panelists described immune responses and side effects of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with rheumatic disease, along with ways to leverage monoclonal antibody treatments, especially in light of virus variants.
TOWN HALL—When the COVID pandemic shifted meetings and other team functions in the working world to remote video encounters, team leaders were challenged to find new ways to build and support their teams. When the team could only come together remotely, the need for cohesion, morale building, recognition and common culture took on even greater…
Sharon A. Chung, MD, MAS, director of the vasculitis clinic at the University of California, San Francisco, served as the principal investigator of the overall vasculitis guideline effort and talks about the process here.
On Aug. 6, practice managers, clinicians and researchers gathered with ACR and RISE staff and volunteers to discuss the registry’s development and future.
SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, is a complex disease entity that continues to evolve. Physicians, researchers and scientists alike have worked tirelessly to tackle this beast in its short existence; however, we are reminded daily that there is more to this virus than meets the eye. It is well known that COVID-19 can cause acute respiratory failure…
The incidence of drug-induced lupus continues to rise as clinicians expand their therapeutic armamentarium. An estimated 15,000–30,000 cases of drug-induced lupus occur every year in the U.S. alone.1 It is a well-known, but rare, complication of commonly used medications, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-arrhythmic and anti-epileptic drugs, as well as biologic and immune checkpoint therapies.2,3 The…
Janus kinase 1 and 2 inhibitors (jakinibs) have been approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and, most recently, juvenile idiopathic arthritis. They have also shown promise in the treatment of interferon (IFN) mediated diseases. The Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway is the principal signaling pathway for…
Sarcoidosis and IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) are both immune-mediated, often multi-organ, diseases of uncertain etiology capable of presenting with diverse clinical manifestations. Many clinical features are common to both conditions, including hypergammaglobulinemia, the ability to form inflammatory masses and involvement of the lymph nodes, lacrimal glands, salivary glands, meninges and lungs. Although imaging modalities, such as…
Discovered more than 3,000 years ago, colchicine is one of the oldest drugs still in use today. Like most old remedies, colchicine is a chemical substance found in many plants, most notably in colchicum autumnale, known as wild saffron or autumn crocus. It was mentioned in the oldest Egyptian medical text, Ebers Papyrus (circa 1550…
A relatively new state association, the Rheumatology Association of Minnesota and the Dakotas (RA-MD), held its first meeting in 2016. Five years later, the association president, Jody Hargrove, MD, a board-certified rheumatologist with Arthritis and Rheumatology Consultants PA, Edina, Minn., says the group’s membership fluctuates between 80 and 100 rheumatology professionals. RA-MD has members from…
Diversity, equity and inclusion have implications for pediatric patient care and the rheumatology workforce.
Experts provided an update on juvenile dermatomyositis, discussing patient care, treatment options and the pathogenesis of disease.
PRSYM 2021—Although primary COVID-19 infection has the most significant complications in adult patients, pediatric rheumatologists have also seen significant changes in their practice over the past year. With the emergence of COVID-19, the rise of a mysterious post-COVID hyperinflammatory syndrome, now known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), was identified, and pediatric rheumatologists have…
A recent paper illustrates how using different fibromyalgia criteria affects reports of its prevalence.1 Writing in Arthritis Care & Research, researchers found the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks–American Pain Society Pain Taxonomy (AAPT) criteria caused far more people to be categorized as having fibromyalgia than criteria put forth by…
When the first SARS-CoV-2 case was recorded, it was difficult to appreciate the extent to which cybersecurity concerns, particularly in connection to the protection of patient healthcare data, would enter into mainstream consciousness. Although many practices and healthcare organizations have recently adopted additional measures to safeguard patients’ protected health information (PHI) through expanded cybersecurity monitoring,…
Marian Hannan Celebrated after 10 Years as AC&R Editor-in-Chief By Kelly April Tyrrell This summer, the 10-year tenure of Marian Hannan, MPH, DSc, as editor in chief of Arthritis Care & Research (AC&R), has come to an end. Kelli Allen, PhD, assumed the post on July 1. “Marian has done a fantastic job over the…
Kelli Allen, PhD, believes strongly in the mission of AC&R, and as the journal’s new editor in chief, it’s now in her hands to carry that mission forward. Dr. Allen assumed the role on July 1, following the decade-long tenure of Dr. Hannan. “Everyone has been very generous with their time and the managing editors…
In 2015, the Department of Immunology at the University College London (UCL) rented a room above the King & Queen pub in London for a seminar series. Among the speakers was David Isenberg, MD, FRCP (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians), FAMS (Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences), who still serves as UCL’s academic…
In July, the FDA approved the use of Octagam 10%, an intravenous immunoglobulin solution, to treat dermatomyositis in adults after an international study demonstrated the treatment’s safety and efficacy.
ATLANTA—The ACR is actively engaged with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) drug shortage team as they work with the manufacturer to resolve current shortages of tocilizumab (Actemra). Demand for tocilizumab has outpaced supply, with demand increasing after the FDA’s June 24 Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for…