I have been tongue-tied, of late. When I was a medical student, I was told not to turn the physical examination into an aerobic workout. This sage piece of advice was imparted by my physical examination preceptor, who had watched me perform a complete examination on a hapless volunteer. At the time, I thought of…
Convex-walking shoes, dietary supplements, advancements in nerve growth factor inhibitors and more—Xavier Chevalier gave an overview and new insights into treatments for osteoarthritis.
As the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spreads across the globe, innovative thinking is needed more than ever to counter the devastating effects on the physical and socioeconomic health of individuals and communities. Innovations in healthcare delivery not yet fully realized prior to the pandemic, such as the adoption of telehealth, are moving to the…
When rheumatologists think about rheumatoid arthritis (RA), they are apt to picture the synovium, contemplate such antibodies as rheumatoid factor and those to citrullinated proteins, and consider how this interplay of factors manifests in disease. What is not as commonly discussed is the role the autonomic nervous system plays in the pathogenesis and symptomatology of…
A 61-year-old white woman presented to our rheumatology clinic in New England to establish care in early June 2018, following a move from Texas. She reported a medical history of inflammatory bowel disease, uveitis and seronegative inflammatory arthritis, which was difficult to control and required the use of multiple medications. At her initial visit, she…
“‘I didn’t say there was nothing better,’ the King replied. ‘I said there was nothing like it.’” —Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass “Why did I get this? Was it because of my diet? What should I eat now? What diet should I follow? Are there any natural treatments I can take instead of medications?”…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In recent years, a pathophysiological role for the interleukin (IL) 17/IL-23 axis in the development of psoriasis, enthesitis and inflammatory arthritis has been investigated in both rodent and human models. Clinical trials have demonstrated differential benefits for skin disease and joint disease in patients with psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and ankylosing spondylitis…
Research from Ellingwood et al. examines how often patients diagnosed with early RA experience episodic joint inflammation and describes characteristics that may result in RA development.
Drug-induced lupus erythematosus and ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) are both autoimmune conditions associated with the use of hydralazine, a commonly prescribed drug for hypertension and congestive heart failure. Although the pathogenesis is unknown, it is believed that hydralazine alters neutrophil and lymphocyte function and promotes exposure of antigens, leading to the development of anti-neutrophil antibodies (ANCA)…
Two experts discussed ongoing difficulties in diagnosing autoinflammatory disease, & promising new studies that point to possible genetic roots of autoinflammatory disease.