SNOWMASS VILLAGE, COLO.—Current trends in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy are the increased use of newer medication categories, such as Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (Jakinibs) and biologics, and the rising costs of treatment. Unchanged is the consistent use of methotrexate as an effective therapy. These topics and more were discussed at the ACR Winter Symposium during…
Clinically amyotrophic dermatomyositis (CADM), a subset of dermatomyositis (DM), is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by typical DM cutaneous findings (e.g., heliotrope rash, Gottron papules, Gottron sign) without evidence of myositis.1 The incidence of DM and CADM is approximately 9.63 per 1 million people and 2.08 per 1 million people, respectively.2 The association with development…
Two new studies delving into the relative safety of biologic drugs prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have concluded that real-world applications of abatacept and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi’s) are comparable to more conventional therapies in their associated risk of serious infections. Triple Therapy One study, in Arthritis Care & Research, found the risk of…
Telerheumatology—which refers to the application of electronic communication technology to clinical encounters from a distance between rheumatologists and their patients—has the potential to extend a workforce projected to experience significant shortfalls, making it more accessible to more patients. Multiple barriers that stood in the way of taking full advantage of this promise are now down—at…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Cases of a rare hyperinflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to novel coronavirus continue to be reported around the world. During a 10-day period in mid-April, clinicians in London treated an “unprecedented” cluster of eight children with hyperinflammatory shock, who presented to Evelina London Children’s Hospital pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), triggering…
(Reuters)—The malaria treatment repeatedly championed by U.S. President Donald Trump as a game changer in the fight against the novel coronavirus has again failed to show a benefit in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a recent study. Although the study published in The New England Journal of Medicine had certain limitations, doctors report that…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Treatment with the interleukin-1 blocker anakinra appears to improve respiratory symptoms and reduced signs of cytokine storm in nearly three-quarters of patients with acute respiratory distress and cytokine release syndrome from COVID-19 in a small retrospective study from Italy. “Our study is the first to suggest that a high dose of the…
In light of a new reporting framework that will be available in 2021, Lisa Suter, MD, describes the importance of quality measures for measuring value and improving patient care.
Jane’s* hands and wrists had been swollen and painful for about eight weeks. Lab findings in the ambulatory consult that came to our office revealed a cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody count >250 u/mL. We all know where this story goes, including how important the early treatment window is. Our clinic reviews all consults and tries…
Baricitinib, an oral JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor approved to treat RA in adults, is being investigated as a possible treatment for hospitalized patients with COVID-19…