Patients with Parkinson’s disease may be at risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). New research examined why patients with Parkinson’s have a higher incidence of CTS than that of the general population. The study found that those patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation to monitor them for neuropathy may develop CTS…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and no known heart disease may have subclinical myocardial inflammation, which improves with disease-modifying therapy, new research shows. “We know that patients with RA have higher risk of cardiovascular events, including heart failure and we really don’t know why. Maybe myocardial inflammation is one of the…
Once the barriers to telemedicine are overcome, this modern approach to the practice of medicine solves patient access issues and increases physician productivity, says Daniel Albert, MD, a pediatric rheumatologist at the Center for Telehealth at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center…
You started a medical practice and, through the years, have developed policies, procedures, strategies, work products, client relationships and confidential information that are specific to your practice and its success. As your practice grows, you know you will need to hire more employees. You also understand, however, that any potential employee may pose a risk…
The decision to continue or discontinue immunomodulatory medications during pregnancy is a difficult one for both patients and physicians. On the one hand, when left untreated, rheumatic conditions can cause harm to an unborn child, as well as to the pregnant mother. On the other hand, medications can be harmful to a developing fetus. In…
“Yes sir.” That was the response of Raymond Scalettar, MD, DSc, FACP, when his commanding officer told him the U.S. Army wanted him to switch specialties—from gastroenterology to rheumatology. There was only one problem. Dr. Scalettar wasn’t exactly sure what that would entail. That was the mid-1950s. Back then, rheumatology was barely out of the womb. Residency…
If you thought the presidential election was a tough choice, imagine selecting this year’s slate of ACR/ARHP award winners. At the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Washington this November, the ACR and the ARHP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care. In this issue,…
A large medical specialty society for ophthalmologists recently updated its recommendations for the screening of chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) retinopathy.1 The recommendations from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) affect patients who may use CQ or HCQ for rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as well as some inflammatory and dermatologic conditions. The…
The State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook was founded in 1957, and is currently known as Stony Brook University. In the 1970s, when the Health Sciences Center was still in the cocoon stages of its metamorphosis, the School of Medicine, under the brilliant stewardship of Marvin Kuschner, MD, was already on a mission…
In May, the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) published its recommendations for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).1 The updated recommendations represent advances in drug development and availability since previous recommendations published in 2009, as well changes in treatment paradigms and the importance of associated aspects of the disease.2…