High-resolution computed tomography shows evidence of ILD.
The ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice, a video
In collaboration with the American College of Chest Physicians, the ACR released two new comprehensive guidelines aimed at improving the screening, monitoring, and treatment of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Recently, Sindhu R. Johnson, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada, director of the Toronto Scleroderma Program and principal investigator for the guideline, and Elana J. Bernstein, MD, MSc, Florence Irving associate professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Columbia University, New York City, and co-first author, presented a webinar to talk about how the guidelines were developed and present some of the recommendations and their rationale: Watch the recording now!
Between April and December 2020, many eligible healthcare providers received or applied for payments from the $175 billion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund (PRF) through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). On Dec.27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the Appropriations Act) was signed into law,…
To say it has been an interesting (the science and the memes), tumultuous (the politics) and heartbreaking (the pandemic and social injustice) year is an understatement. There have been moments of grace and inspiration that we hope have kept everyone going. As we look to 2021, we take lessons from our experiences in 2020. Washington,…
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…
Renal arteriosclerosis is common in lupus patients with nephritis and occurs two decades earlier than it does in people without lupus nephritis (LN), report investigators in a study that examined the prevalence of renal arteriosclerosis in LN patients compared with healthy controls.1 The finding suggests that renal arteriosclerosis could be used as a biomarker for…
In this study, Fatima et al. analyzed how well the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability index predicts future all-cause mortality in patients with early RA (i.e., with a symptom duration of less than one year). A total of 1,724 patients with early RA were included. The researchers found that a higher HAQ score and Disease Activity Score at one year were significantly associated with all-cause mortality.
New state legislatures face many continuing issues, including budget shortfalls, vaccine distribution problems and strained healthcare infrastructure. However, opportunities exist for significant policy wins for rheumatology, particularly on the issues of step therapy reform, telemedicine and copay accumulators.
At the virtual interim meeting Nov. 13–17, the ACR delegation led a successful bid to update American Medical Association policies on home infusion and copay accumulators and supported efforts against the Most Favored Nation drug pricing model.
Patients who do not fulfill classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can be referred to as having probable SLE (pSLE). These patients can be identified with cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPs), according to a recently published study in Arthritis & Rheumatology.1 The findings are relevant because the existing Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics…
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has a higher life impact on women than men, suggesting the need to include life impact as part of the treat-to-target strategy for PsA. This is the finding of a recently published study by Orbai et al., which found female sex independently linked to high PsA life impact.1 The Study The study…
A recent pilot study explores the feasibility of virtual reality-based pain interventions for people with rheumatic conditions.1 Although the work is in its early stages, it may someday represent a new non-pharmacological tool for patients with chronic pain. VR for Treatment R. Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR, is an associate clinical professor of medicine at the…