Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a condition characterized by widespread pain, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbance and fatigue. It is commonly associated with psychological distress and co-morbid conditions. Impaired cognition is common in individuals with FMS, and is often referred to as fibrofog.1 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of…
Methotrexate has long been a cornerstone of therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. Two new, injectable methotrexate products may help some RA patients for whom oral methotrexate is not as effective or causes adverse effects. Rasuvo and Otrexup are prefilled, auto-injection devices that allow patients to give themselves subcutaneous injections of methotrexate without having to use a…
Editor’s note: Welcome to the first installment of Experiences in Advocacy, a special series authored by ACR members detailing personal experiences in advocacy. We need rheumatologists to join the American Medical Association (AMA). Here’s why, and how to do it. Having participated in your delegation for over a decade, I have seen major improvements in…
In a global Phase 3 trial, subcutaneous secukinumab proved safe and effective in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Also, a version of aspartyl-alanyl diketopiperazine, a biologic for knee OA, has entered Phase 3 trials…
Gregory Barton, PhD, professor of immunology and pathogenesis, University of California, Berkeley, talked about research on the innate immune system and a key protein involved in the trafficking of a subset of toll-like receptors (TLRs) during FOCIS 2015 in San Diego. To keep the body healthy, the immune system responds constantly to foreign cellular invaders…
How the immune system reacts to potential harm, such as lack of oxygen and inflammation, depends greatly on the human body’s metabolic processes and pathways, according to speakers at FOCIS 2015 in San Diego this past June. During a session devoted to metabolism and the immune system, researchers talked about recent studies that shed light…
The field of rheumatology took center stage when a handful of speakers discussed trends and research during a disease-oriented session of the 2015 Federation of Clinical Immunity Societies (FOCIS 2015) conference held in San Diego in June. Neutrophils in SLE Mariana Kaplan, MD, chief of Systemic Autoimmunity Branch at the National Institute of Arthritis and…
Two of the great traditions of medicine are the curbside and party consults. In the former, participating physicians informally discuss an especially difficult diagnostic problem. During the latter, a patient will approach the doctor to ask about some possible medical problem and what they should do about it. The advent of the Internet has brought…
How do you tell a story 50 years in the making? How do you capture 50 years of achievements, moments, personal and professional relationships, and careers shaped? How do you define the exact moment collaborative and integrated care teams became the rule—not the exception—in rheumatology? To journey through the milestones that have led to the…
The differences between Caucasian and minority patients with lupus are striking: In almost all aspects of the disease, black, Hispanic and many Asian lupus patients do poorly compared with their white counterparts. Although racial disparities in outcomes in the practice of medicine are widespread, the scope and degree of the differences in lupus is, with…