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Search results for: calcium

Case Report: Does a Young Woman with Gitelman Syndrome Have Gout?

Rebecca Lindsey Weiner, DO, & Ann K. Rosenthal, MD, FACP  |  

Gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in adults, and it typically occurs in men over the age of 50. When gout presents in younger patients or in women, this should warrant consideration of secondary causes. We describe an unusual genetic cause of tophaceous gout in a young, premenopausal woman. Case Report In…

ACR Quality of Care Committee Impresses with Its Recent Productivity

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Over the past 18 months, the ACR’s Quality of Care (QOC) Committee has helped produce an impressive number of resources that will help rheumatologists deliver the best possible care. Working through specific projects supervised under its Criteria, Guideline, Guidance, and Quality Measure subcommittees, the QOC Committee has developed new sets of disease criteria, clinical guidelines,…

Case Report: Warfarin-Induced Non-Uremic Calciphylaxis Mimicking Vasculitis

Marie Dardeno, DO, Joshua D. Sparling, MD, & William Monaco, MD  |  

Calciphylaxis, or calcific uremic arteriolopathy, is a rare disease characterized by calcification of the arterioles and capillaries in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, resulting in thrombus formation and subsequent skin ischemia and necrosis.1 This serious condition most commonly occurs in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis or in kidney transplant recipients. In rare…

Do Bisphosphonates Reduce Cardiovascular-Related Mortality?

Sarah F. Keller, MD, & Marcy B. Bolster, MD  |  

It is well known that hip fractures are associated with significant morbidity and mortality: Mortality increases 15–25% in the year following a hip fracture.1–5 We know that treating osteo­porosis prevents fractures and improves patient survival. But is there a relationship beyond this? Several studies have found that bisphosphonate therapy is associated with a reduction in…

How to Improve Oral & Eye Health in Sjögren’s Patients

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ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—Sjögren’s syndrome requires care from several specialists, and presenters at the Sjögren’s Syndrome: Dental and Ocular Perspectives session shared diagnostic and treatment pearls from their respective specialties.  Rebecca Manno, MD, MHS, of the Comprehensive Arthritis and Rheumatology Center of the U.S. Virgin Islands moderated the session.  Oral Health Dry mouth is famously associated…

Lost and found

The History of ACE Inhibitors in Scleroderma Renal Crisis

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Scleroderma renal crisis is a true medical emergency in rheumatology, one that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Here, we review the historic introduction of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in this context, and highlight management and key questions moving forward. Background Awareness of renal disease in scleroderma dates back many years. The revered physician William Osler…

Osteoporosis Experts Discuss Bisphosphonate Holidays

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ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—Bisphosphonates are an important treatment for millions of older Americans with osteoporosis because the drugs inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption to reduce the risk of painful, debilitating fractures.1 More than 20 years ago, data emerged that bisphosphonates have a long terminal half-life.2 So after years of therapy, could some patients take a drug holiday?…

Under Pressure: An Update on Pulmonary Hypertension

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ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In patients with connective tissue diseases, such as systemic sclerosis (SSc), pulmonary hypertension (PH) remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. In her lecture on Friday, Nov. 6, Pulmonary Hypertension: An Update, Mardi Gomberg-Maitland, MD, MSc, professor of medicine and medical director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at The George…