Susan Bernstein is a freelance journalist based in Atlanta. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. Susan has worked as a professional journalist, writer, book author and editor for 25 years. She served in full-time positions with both the Arthritis Foundation and the American College of Rheumatology. She began working as a freelance journalist in 2011. Susan is the author of numerous Web and print articles on a variety of medical topics and is the author of three patient health books published by the Arthritis Foundation.
What happens when systemic sclerosis (SSc) overlaps with other systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases? Patients with either diffuse cutaneous or limited cutaneous SSc sometimes develop systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well. A new, large cohort study published in the Journal of Rheumatology reveals details on the epidemiology, clinical signs and survival data of SSc-SLE overlap syndrome.1… [Read More]
The ACR recently issued three new position statements on key issues facing rheumatologists and patients with rheumatic diseases: step therapy, affordable prescription drug pricing and a special waived test designation for synovial fluid crystal analysis performed by rheumatologists. Here is a detailed look at each. Addressing Step Therapy Step therapy or fail first protocols require patients… [Read More]
CHICAGO—Rheumatology healthcare providers should embrace collaborative approaches to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adult patients, including models of care that involve multiple providers, patients and their caregivers. That was the message delivered by two speakers in the Interdisciplinary Management of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Older Adults session at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. “As… [Read More]
CHICAGO—At Hot Topics in Myositis, a session at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, three experts discussed new classification criteria for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and offered practical primers on overlap myositis conditions and inclusion body myositis (IBM). New Myositis Classification Criteria After a 10-year development process, the new EULAR/ACR Classification Criteria for Adult and Juvenile… [Read More]
In March 1987, Mark Andrejeski moved from Columbus, Ohio, to Atlanta to lead a brand-new organization: the American Rheumatism Association (ARA). The professional association of rheumatologists had separated from the Arthritis Foundation 15 months earlier. “Initially, I was just trying to make sure the organization survived,” says Mr. Andrejeski, who studied business management and economics… [Read More]
CHICAGO—Two experts presented insights on the diagnosis and treatment of low back and hip pain, including a refresher course on the mechanical structures involved, in Anatomy in a Day: Demystifying Low Back Pain and Lateral Hip Pain: New Patho-Anatomical Perspectives, a session at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. Low Back Pain Avoid using such terms… [Read More]
CHICAGO—At the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, rheumatologist project volunteers for the ACR’s Collaborative Initiatives talked about their efforts to educate primary-care providers, patients and families in their communities about systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Their goal is to facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment of lupus, especially in underserved communities. Health Disparities Health disparities, or differences in health… [Read More]
CHICAGO—At the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, Allen C. Steere, MD, delivered the Rheumatology Research Foundation Memorial Lecture honoring the late Charles M. Plotz, MD: Linking Gut Microbial Immunity with Autoimmunity in Joints in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Dr. Steere is professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, and director of translational research in rheumatology… [Read More]
On Feb. 13, the ACR co-sponsored Arthritis 101, its biennial arthritis advocacy lunch briefing at the U.S. Capitol, highlighting the disproportionate impact of rheumatic disease on active members of the armed forces and veterans. The event, co-sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation (AF), is part of the ACR’s effort to support inclusion of $20 million in… [Read More]
CHICAGO—Although rare, when a patient has both primary immune deficiency and autoimmune disease, the combination can lead to life-threatening complications requiring careful, long-term therapy. In When Immune Deficiency and Autoimmunity Coexist, a session at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, M. Eric Gershwin, MD, the Jack and Donald Chia professor of Medicine and chief of Rheumatology,… [Read More]