BALTIMORE—Rheumatologists may not think about osteoporosis on a daily basis, but they should, said Dr. Karl Insogna, the Ensign Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and director of the Yale Bone Center in New Haven, Conn., in his recent lecture at the Maryland Society for the Rheumatic Diseases. With approximately 75 million…
Patients who reviewed an industry-sponsored booklet about a commonly used rheumatoid arthritis drug were twice as likely to choose the proposed therapy as were patients who reviewed similar decision-aid material presented in a neutral manner, according to a recent study. Richard Martin, MD, MA, professor of medicine, rheumatology, at Michigan State University College of Human…
Could relief for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms be as close as the nearest seafood restaurant? Possibly, say researchers from Harvard. University who recently conducted a cross-sectional study. Published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research, the research examined whether consuming fresh fish could ease RA symptoms.1 Previous studies have examined the role fish…
A phase 3 clinical trial in which researchers treated lupus patients with blisibimod, a biologic treatment that inhibits B cell activating factor (BAFF), did not meet its primary endpoint, but did demonstrate evidence of possible efficacy. Researcher Joan T. Merrill, MD, a member of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) and OMRF professor of medicine…
A recent analysis of the monoclonal antibody epratuzumab finds new evidence for its effectiveness in a subset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients who have a concurrent diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome, a progressive autoimmune disease that affects exocrine glands and is characterized by dry eyes and mouth.1 Sjögren’s can be primary, meaning independent of other…
Although total knee replacement (TKR) surgery can improve pain and function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA), many patients who are sedentary before undergoing TKR don’t increase their physical activity levels after surgery. A new study led by Elena Losina, PhD, of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, examined…
Videos designed to help patients understand and manage chronic rheumatologic diseases can lead to gains in clarity about the disease duration, symptoms, medications, and the importance of regular visits with a physician. A study published in a recent issue of Arthritis Care & Research looks at the development and impact of three educational videos for…
As if the fatigue, joint pain, etc., were not enough, new research has found many lupus patients must contend with clinical depression as well—something that can have a devastating cascade effect on other areas of their lives. Are adults with childhood-onset lupus at greater risk of depression than lupus patients with onset of disease during…
Understanding rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) is an understandably tall order for the lay public, what with the huge number of conditions and the complex—and often little understood—processes involved. Now, a working group of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the ACR has set out to try to correct this problem with a definition…
I am an alien rheumatologist. Are you? One in five rheumatology fellows is considered an alien. Under the Code of Federal Regulations Title 22 Chapter I Subchapter G Part 62 Subpart B Section 62.27, an alien physician is a foreign national who is a graduate of a school of medicine who comes to the U.S….