(Reuters)—Canadian health regulators have approved GlaxoSmithKline’s shingles vaccine, the company said on Friday.1 Shingrix, the British pharma company’s shingles vaccine for people aged 50 years or older, was unanimously recommended for approval by a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel last week. Older people are most at risk of an outbreak of shingles,…
Search results for: zoster
From the Front Lines: Managing RA Comorbidities in Primary Care
How are comorbidities for RA patients managed outside of rheumatology? A recent Canadian study developed and assessed quality measures related to preventive care and screenings for RA patients in a primary care setting, comparing RA and non-RA patients. The results: Primary care physicians often provide similar levels of care to patients with and without RA. But RA patients were less likely to receive some cancer screenings and all necessary tests to assess their cardiovascular risk…
Tofacitinib After Live Shingles Vaccination Does Not Impair Immunogenicity
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Tofacitinib begun two to three weeks after live zoster vaccination does not impair immunogenicity, and vaccination appears to be safe in patients with pre-existing varicella zoster virus (VZV) immunity, researchers report. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are about twice as likely as healthy adults to develop herpes zoster, or shingles, and the…
Pricey Arthritis Drug Effective in Small Fraction of Ulcerative Colitis Cases
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Pfizer’s expensive arthritis drug tofacitinib has been shown to produce a remission in nearly 1 in 5 patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, but long-term remission persists in fewer than half of those cases. In a series of studies published in the May 4 New England Journal of Medicine, researchers reported…
Fellows Forum Case Report: Neuromyelitis Optica
Case Presentation The patient was a 42-year-old African American female diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based on the findings of polyarthritis, malar and discoid rash, fatigue, positive double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) ribonucleoprotein and Smith antibodies, and low serum complement levels. Her SLE had been well controlled on hydroxychloroquine 400 mg daily, oral methotrexate 25 mg…
Metagenomic Deep Sequencing for Uveitis Enhances Traditional Diagnostic Testing
Throughout their training and practice, physicians become adept at pattern recognition as a means to efficiently connect and synthesize seemingly disparate laboratory, physical exam, and radiologic and historical findings into a coherent theory for what likely ails the patient sitting in front of them. This inductive method of reasoning is necessary because, based on these…
Rheumatology Practices Need Sharp Focus on Patient Care Safety, Quality
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” —W. Edwards Deming For practices to survive, change is a requirement—not an option—in the rapidly evolving practice of rheumatology care. Pharmaceutical therapies are advancing quickly, opening the door for game-changing therapies in the treatment of chronic autoimmune disorders. With these advances comes a need for…
Shingles Vaccination Not at Goal Levels for U.S. Seniors
(Reuters Health)—Just one in five people over age 60 in the U.S. have been vaccinated against a painful eruption of herpes zoster (shingles), despite recommendations that all of them should get the shot. It’s estimated that among people over age 50, one in three will eventually develop shingles. After age 80, half of adults have…
Not All Infectious Microorganisms Malign Human Immune System
Which came first? The infectious microorganism or a host’s immune resistance against it? Through the millennia, a raging battle has pitted the hordes of infectious agents surrounding us against, arguably, the most complex biologic structure ever created, the finely tuned human immune system. The stakes are high for both sides. For the infectious agent, an…
Tips on Vaccinating Patients with Rheumatic Diseases
CHICAGO—In October of last year, a 52-year-old woman came to see Kevin Winthrop, MD, MPH, associate professor in infectious diseases, public health and preventive medicine at the Oregon Health & Sciences University. She had rheumatoid arthritis and was taking methotrexate and prednisone. She had had little change in her RA disease severity and was considering…
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