PHILADELPHIA—Representatives of the Young Patients’ Autoimmune Research and Empowerment Alliance (YP AREA) led a panel titled Young Patients with Big Ideas Will Revolutionize Healthcare and Research, in which they discussed their work as advocates for adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients. YP AREA’s mission is to make autoimmune research more accessible and inclusive by involving…
PHILADELPHIA—Patients with rheumatic diseases often mount an adequate immune response after receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, but that is not always the case, and certain medications make patients more prone to having an insufficient response, said Judith James, MD, PhD, chair, Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, at an ACR Convergence…
PHILADELPHIA—As rheumatologists, we care for patients who may or may not want to become pregnant. We aren’t obstetricians or gynecologists, but several of the drugs we prescribe for active rheumatic disease can negatively affect pregnancy outcomes. It’s imperative we understand how to effectively counsel our patients with rheumatic disease on the risks and benefits of…
PHILADELPHIA—It is often the case that a holistic approach to the management of autoimmune disease is what patients are looking for and may indeed provide optimal care for these patients. At ACR Convergence 2022, the session titled ACR Guideline for Physical, Psychosocial, Mind-Body and Nutritional Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Integrative Approach to Treatment sought…
PHILADELPHIA—The term pseudogout has been a source of confusion among rheumatologists, especially as our understanding of calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition (CPPD) disease has become more nuanced. This condition has many complex and interesting facets that warrant closer investigation. An ACR Convergence 2022 session sought to update the audience on the progress to date in developing…
PHILADELPHIA—Ever since the seminal work of C. Lockard Conley, MD, in 1952 of the discovery of the lupus anticoagulant, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been of great interest to rheumatologists, hematologists and many others. At ACR Convergence 2022, the session titled Draft ACR/EULAR Antiphospholipid Syndrome Classification Criteria sought to summarize the rigorous process that went into…
When he was a boy, Jeff Peterson, MD, fondly remembers that he would help his dad pick blackberries and watch intently as the berries were transformed into wine. “I liked it when my dad offered me a sip because the wine tasted very sweet,” Dr. Peterson says. “It was a special family moment.” These days,…
Lupus Research Alliance Inaugurates Diversity Awards The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) inaugurated two new award mechanisms this past summer with the goal of alleviating the racial disparities prevalent in both autoimmune diseases and the biomedical research community. Three notable early career scientists from under-represented groups received the Diversity in Lupus Research Career Development Awards, and…
Editor’s note: In November, the ACR honored Joel M. Kremer, MD, MACR, president of the Corrona Research Foundation, with its Distinguished Clinical Investigator Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology as a clinical scientist (see story here). As the founder of the Consortium of Rheumatology Researchers of North America (CORRONA, now known…
Recognition as an ACR Master is one of the highest honors the College bestows. The designation of Master is conferred on ACR members, age 65 or older by Oct. 1 of the year in which they are nominated, who have made outstanding contributions to the ACR and the field of rheumatology through scholarly achievement and/or…