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

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Live Herpes Zoster Vaccine Fails to Provide Long-Term Protection in RA Patients on Tofacitinib

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—The live herpes zoster vaccine does not provide reliable long-term protection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking tofacitinib, a recent study suggests. Current ACR guidelines conditionally recommend that patients with RA who are 50 years and older be vaccinated against herpes zoster prior to starting therapy with the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib or…

Coding Corner Answers: An Office Personnel Quiz

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Take the challenge. D. When an infusion is ordered by the provider, there should be a signed order from the provider. If a prior authorization is needed, it should be obtained, with the number of infusions, along with the start and end dates of the authorization. Also, a prior authorization does not guarantee reimbursement; an…

Coding Corner Questions: An Office Personnel Quiz

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A 65-year-old male patient diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at multiple sites without rheumatoid factor has been ordered to have infliximab infusions. What should support staff do to ensure this procedure can be given to the patient? Make sure there is a signed order from the provider Make sure a prior authorization is obtained Make sure…

The Latest Advances in Sjögren’s, Scleroderma, RA, Gout & More

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ATLANTA—At the ACR/ARP 2019 Annual Meeting, several widely renowned experts across an array of specialty subjects provided a comprehensive and compelling review of advances in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of a number of rheumatologic conditions. Sjögren’s Syndrome Frederick Vivino, MD, FACR, chief of rheumatology at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and professor of clinical medicine…

Not All Rheumatoid Factor-Positive Tests Mean RA

Francis Essien, DO, & Matthew B. Carroll, MD, FACP, FACR  |  

Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL) is an aggressive, peripheral T cell, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with an incidence of 0.05 cases per 100,000 person-years in the U.S., and it typically manifests in adults older than 60 years.1,2 AITL was previously known as angio­immunoblastic lymphadenopathy with dysproteinemia, immunoblastic lympha­denopathy or lymphogranulomatosis X, due to the hypothesis that the…

New Research Identifies Possible Preclinical Rheumatoid Arthritis Biomarkers

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ATLANTA—A key goal for rheumatology researchers and clinicians is to predict through specific biomarkers if someone will, at some point in their future, develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA). If so, the disease could be prevented or stopped before the inflammation and ravaging begins, explained researchers during a Basic Science lecture at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting…

Strong Support for Treat-to-Target Strategy in RA Patients

Megan Brooks  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In daily clinical practice, following a treat-to-target (T2T) strategy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) leads to higher rates of remission compared with not following a T2T strategy, according to a longitudinal analysis of real world data. “The results of the analysis provide direct evidence that following T2T, and particularly sustained T2T,…

Clinicians Discuss Current & Future Rheumatoid Arthritis Approaches

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ATLANTA—When it comes to treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, most clinicians agree: One size does not fit all. Many treatment options exist, and seldom is there 100% consensus on what the first course of action or general approach should be. In the face of such variability, four clinicians took the stage at the 2019 ACR/ARP…