ACR Convergence 2021—On Nov. 5, Karen H. Costenbader, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, and director of the lupus program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, gave a whirlwind review of the most important clinical rheumatology publications of the past year. Testing New Medications for Rheumatic Disease ADVOCATE Trial of Avacopan Dr. Costenbader first…
The high prevalence and significant burden of osteoarthritis (OA) are well known. But it’s becoming apparent that OA research efforts don’t necessarily match disease prevalence or disability. The International Foot and Ankle Osteoarthritis Consortium (IFOAC) is an international organization of volunteers that seeks to highlight a major and often overlooked problem in OA research—foot and…
Convex-walking shoes, dietary supplements, advancements in nerve growth factor inhibitors and more—Xavier Chevalier gave an overview and new insights into treatments for osteoarthritis.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Non-surgical care for knee osteoarthritis (OA) is uncommon among older adults, especially in regions of the U.S. where total knee arthroplasty rates are high, a large retrospective analysis shows.1 “As rheumatologists, we often think of knee arthroplasty as the last resort, after patients have tried and failed more conservative treatments, such as…
It is well known that hip fractures are associated with significant morbidity and mortality: Mortality increases 15–25% in the year following a hip fracture.1–5 We know that treating osteoporosis prevents fractures and improves patient survival. But is there a relationship beyond this? Several studies have found that bisphosphonate therapy is associated with a reduction in…
(Reuters Health)—People with thumb-base osteoarthritis (OA) who receive a combination of conservative treatments, including education in self-management, ergonomics and hand exercises, may experience clinically meaningful improvements in hand function, a study suggests. Researchers randomized 204 people with thumb-base OA (1:1) to receive education on self-management and ergonomics alone (comparator) or in combination with a base-of-thumb…
(Reuters Health)—Total knee replacement surgery can be a cost-effective procedure for patients with severe obesity and osteoarthritis (OA), even when they also have comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. Researchers did a cost-benefit analysis for two patient populations (over 65 years, and age 50 to 65) who had…
High-intensity strength training may be no more beneficial than low-intensity strength training at improving pain and joint compression in patients with knee osteoarthritis, according to a recent study.
In a controlled, large-cohort, longitudinal study from Canada, Atiquazzaman et al. found that use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) substantially contributes to increased cardiovascular disease risk among people with osteoarthritis (OA).1 This is the first study to evaluate the mediating role that NSAIDs play in the association between OA and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and the…
Humans are not perfectly symmetrical. Almost everyone has one ear that’s higher or one foot that’s larger than the other. Similarly, leg lengths are often not quite the same. There is disagreement as to what constitutes a clinically significant difference, but some studies suggest that leg length discrepancy (LLD) can lead to osteoarthritis (OA) of…