The final session of the day will focus on the management of the older adult with RA. Beth Resman-Targoff, Pharm.D., FCCP, is a clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy, Clinical and Administrative Sciences at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy. Dr. Resman-Targoff works with in-patient adult medicine teams at the Oklahoma University Medical Center. This session will highlight management of older adults with RA whose clinical presentation and management may differ based on the onset of the disease. Because randomized controlled studies often exclude elderly patients with RA because of their age or comorbidities, limited data exist on these patients, most of which are derived from registries. These patients may receive suboptimal treatment due to fear of adverse events, but the goals for these patients, as for younger patients, should be remission or low disease activity. The pharmacokinetic changes that occur in the elderly and other evidence regarding use of drugs to treat RA in geriatric patients will be reviewed, along with the impact of comorbidities on management of RA.
Learn more about the Clinical Focus Course and register. Note: An additional fee beyond scientific registration is required.
Maura Iversen, BSc, PT, DPT, SD, MPH, is an associate editor of The Rheumatologist. She is also professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences at Northeastern University, a behavioral scientist in the Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, Boston.
