ACR Convergence 2025| Video: Rheuminations on Milestones & Ageism

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Articles by Natasha Yetman

Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy Tied to Radiographic Knee OA

By Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Patients with a degenerative meniscus tear who get arthroscopic partial meniscectomy have similar five-year outcomes and increased risk of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) as without surgery, a small study suggests. Researchers in Finland randomly assigned 146 adults with degenerative meniscus tear confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to receive either arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM)…

Monthly Belimumab Infusions Preserve Kidney Function in Some Lupus Patients

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters Health)—Intravenous belimumab combined with standard lupus therapy can help preserve kidney function in patients with active lupus nephritis and cut the odds of death or a renal-related event by half, a phase 3 multinational study has concluded.1 After two years of therapy, 43% of 224 volunteers getting the drug monthly showed a renal response…

Polymyalgia Rheumatica Rapid Symptom Improvement After Glucose Is Controlled

Linda Carroll (with a commentary from rheumatologist Eric Matteson, MD)  |  

(Reuters Health)—In a case series report, researchers describe rapid symptom improvement in three patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) when high glucose levels were brought down. After glucose was controlled, patients experienced improvement in both symptoms and laboratory measures of PMR without glucocorticoid administration or an increase in glucocorticoid dosage, according to the report in the…

Jury Out on Immunomodulatory Therapy for Kids with Severe COVID-19

Megan Brooks  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Immunomodulatory therapy is not recommended for most children with COVID-19 who typically will have a mild to moderate course of illness, experts advise in a guidance document in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.1 For children with severe or critical COVID-19, immunomodulatory agents “may be beneficial,” but the risks and…

Pharmacists Not Required to Substitute Generics for Brand-Name Drugs in Most U.S. States

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Only 19 U.S. states mandate that pharmacists fill prescriptions for brand-name small molecule drugs with generics when available, with the 31 remaining states allowing but not requiring these substitutions, a new study finds. Researchers examined laws on the books as of September 2019 pertaining to generic substitution of small molecule drugs, as well as…

After COVID-19-Associated MIS-C, Immune Changes Resolve

Marilynn Larkin  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A new study of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) shows that the immune system is profoundly altered during acute illness, but gradually returns back to normal. MIS-C is distinct from both COVID-19 and Kawasaki disease, but is associated with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, the immunological profiling study reveals. Dr. Manu Shankar-Hari, an…

Bisphosphonates Reduce Bone Toughness Over Time

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Using bisphosphonates for several years is associated with increasing brittleness and decreasing toughness of bone, according to a new review. “Long-term treatment with bisphosphonates can have negative side effects in some people because of their effects on bone toughness [toughness = the energy that bone tissue can absorb before cracking],” David B….