Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. … The potential for greatness lives within each of us. —Wilma Rudolph, U.S. Olympic sprinter & winner of three gold medals From Spinnaker to Wheelchair It can be an unnerving experience when the patient you are about to see is young and…
Hand and digit pain are common presenting symptoms to primary care physicians, rheumatologists, physiatrists and neurologists. There are many causes, but quality and location of the pain can be important clues to the diagnosis. Glomus tumors, neurovascular hamartomas of the glomus body, are an uncommon cause of hand pain. The glomus unit itself is a…
LONDON (Reuters)—Britain’s healthcare cost watchdog has finally approved GlaxoSmithKline’s lupus drug Benlysta (belimumab) for limited use, after rejecting it since 2011 on the grounds that it failed to offer good value for money. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said on Tuesday that the drug would be made available under a managed…
Some patients with epilepsy have a higher risk of fracture due to falls, and some studies have suggested that anti-epileptic drugs may also contribute to the fracture risk. In a recent review, researchers examined if there is a link between epilepsy and osteoporosis, making recommendations to aid future research…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), particularly high anti-CCP2 titers, can diagnose rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the general population with a high degree of accuracy, a Swedish study suggests. ACPA are highly specific for RA, but until now the diagnostic accuracy of ACPA in the general population has not been “thoroughly assessed,” note Dr….
A recent study found that plasmacytoid dentricitic cells (pDCs) control the differentiation of immature B cells into regulatory B (Breg) cells or plasmablast, depending on the concentration of IFNα. For patients with SLE, researchers found that immune regulatory feedback between pDCs and Breg cells is dysfunctional, with the exception of patients who respond to rituximab…
In February, new recommendations were released for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, noting that NSAIDs may be the best initial treatment for the diseases, with TNF inhibitors as second-line therapies. The guideline was the result of a joint effort by the ACR, the Spondylitis Association of America and the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network…
Foot osteoarthritis (OA) of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint is thought to have biomechanical factors, but its treatments have not been comprehensively tested in clinical trials. In the first study to explore the efficacy of mechanical interventions, researchers compared the effectiveness of foot orthoses and rocker-sole footwear in reducing pain. Both interventions were effective, but the foot orthoses group wore the intervention for significantly more hours than the footwear group…
A recent Phase 3 study found tofacitinib safe and effective for treating psoriatic arthritis at both 5 mg and 10 mg doses compared with placebo. And the FDA has added label warnings to saxagliptin and alogliptin for an increased risk of heart failure in individuals taking the drugs, particularly in those with heart and kidney disease…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The anti-interleukin (IL)-12/IL-23 monoclonal antibody ustekinumab improves signs and symptoms of spondylitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis, according to a post-hoc analysis of data from the PSUMMIT-1 and PSUMMIT-2 trials. “This treatment did seem to have a benefit on axial symptoms,” Dr. Arthur Kavanaugh from the University of California San Diego, La…