Women remain underrepresented in research and may receive less funding than men, according to a recent study that describes differences in sex representation among U.S. National Institutes of Health study sections.

Subcategories:EthicsLegal UpdatesLegislation & AdvocacyResearch Rheum
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!

Women remain underrepresented in research and may receive less funding than men, according to a recent study that describes differences in sex representation among U.S. National Institutes of Health study sections.
Musculoskeletal disorders pose a large burden globally, but that burden is often underappreciated. Safiri et al. set out to provide a global overview of this burden, reporting the levels and trends of prevalence, deaths and disability-adjusted life years due to musculoskeletal disorders according to age, sex and sociodemographic factors.
With the approval of its Board of Directors, the ACR sent a letter to President Biden and newly minted Secretary of Health & Human Services Xavier Becerra, strongly supporting Janet Woodcock, MD, to be nominated as the FDA’s permanent commissioner. The ACR also congratulated Secretary Becerra upon his confirmation.

Leslie Mertz, PhD |
When it comes to advocating for rheumatology, it’s never too early or late in your career to begin, and no effort is too small to have an impact, says Dr. Ziglar, a private practitioner and member of the Government Affairs Committee.

Allison Plitman |
A better understanding of knowledge gaps and increased engagement of underrepresented communities are needed to diversify rheumatology patient data in clinical datasets, registries and randomized clinical trials.
Joseph Cantrell, JD |
State-level wins that ensure immunosuppressed patients can access COVID-19 vaccination show the power of coordinated efforts by volunteer leaders, staff and members to translate the ACR’s work into actionable public policy recommendations, then amplify those messages through member engagement.

Younger individuals (<50 years) have a stronger genetic component in their fibromyalgia score than older individuals (>60 years), according to a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.1 Studies that suggest a strong familial component to fibromyalgia have often focused on individuals with primary fibromyalgia who did not have another accompanying disorder, the study authors report….
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) on March 10, 2021, after Senate passage on March 6. President Biden signed the bill into law on March 11. Following is the ACR’s summary of the most impactful provisions of this third COVID-19 relief package. Fighting COVID-19 $160 billion…
The ACR has joined with a coalition of organizations dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents to request $50 million to fund the Pediatric Subspecialty Loan Repayment Program.

Introduced in the Senate on Feb. 25, the bill would amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act to provide a clear process and circumstances for requesting medical exceptions to step therapy protocols.