Serological testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies may play a critical role in the management of the worldwide health crisis. Such testing may reveal key information for epidemiology, convalescent plasma therapies and vaccine development. However, the situation is complex, and much is unknown. Although such testing may ultimately be used to…
It came down to the toss of a coin. David Yancey represented the Newport News district in the Virginia House of Delegates beginning in 2011. In 2017, he had a challenger. Shelly Simonds, a member of the local school board, decided to run for the privilege of representing the 94th District. The final tally: 11,608…
I have always been dissatisfied with the apparent dichotomy between researchers and clinicians; this is a false divide. Yes, research includes laboratory-based investigation, clinical trials, and retrospective and prospective studies of disease entities, among other pursuits. However, clinicians also contribute to research by sharing clinical data and through observations of their patients. Clinicians’ daily contributions…
In a December 2019 editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the implications of diagnostic error were explored through the story of two parents, both medical professionals, who sought a diagnosis for their sick child.1 Their son saw specialist after specialist and underwent repeated procedures, but for years was left without an explanation…
Community rheumatology practices are confronting a significant financial fallout from stay-at-home orders and fears that keep patients at home, as well as reimbursement challenges.
Editor’s note: Registration for ACR Convergence 2020 is now open. Less than a year after becoming editor in chief of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Eric Rubin, MD, PhD, found himself in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2-related submissions flooded the journal office at an unprecedented pace, making an impact on the…
For most doctors, fellowship training represents the final two to three years of formal medical education, and recognition of the unique opportunities of this time period can help aspiring rheumatologists get the most out of their fellowship. Fellowship training is inherently different than residency training, with less structured time, smaller teams (often consisting of only…
A 67–year-old white woman with primary Raynaud’s phenomenon presented following a week of progressively worsening shortness of breath, dry cough and generalized malaise. An avid tennis player, she first noticed dyspnea while playing, but a few days later grew short of breath even at rest. She went to an urgent care center, where a computed…
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a heterogeneous group of lung parenchymal disorders that share several clinical, radiologic and histopathologic features, and are therefore grouped together.1 ILD can occur in association with most rheumatic connective tissue diseases (CTDs), but patients with systemic sclerosis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis and rheumatoid arthritis have the highest risk of developing ILD.2 A…
Editor’s note: EULAR 2020, the annual European Congress of Rheumatology, which was originally scheduled to be held in Frankfurt, Germany, starting June 3, was moved to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EULAR 2020 e-CONGRESS—Although reducing medications is a reasonable option for some patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)—reducing cost and giving them a…
EULAR 2020 e-CONGRESS—In what speakers at the European e-Congress of Rheumatology described as the first treat-to-target and tight control (T2T/TC) strategy trial in axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA), researchers found such a strategy has both health and financial benefits. In the year-long study—called TICOSPA—centers were randomized to apply either a T2T/TC strategy or care left to the…
EULAR 2020 e-CONGRESS—People with rheumatic diseases have more difficulty than others leading a work life, and researchers are attempting to quantify just how long they are able to remain healthy and working compared with the general population. This topic is particularly pressing because people are now expected to work for a longer and longer periods…
Nancy Bates Allen, MD, now professor emeritus, Duke University Medical School, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Durham, N.C., created a legacy of clinical care, clinical research, advocacy for women and collegial respect during her 42-year career at Duke. David S. Caldwell, MD, FACP, FACR, associate professor of medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, says, “[I’m]…
When the first laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case was reported by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on Jan. 22, it was difficult to predict an ensuing global pandemic would last for more than half the year. Approximately one week after the initial CDC report, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) declared…
In June, the FDA approved secukinumab to treat non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis after data from a clinical trial demonstrated its efficacy…
Based on data from two clinical trials, the FDA has approved guselkumab to treat adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis…
In a comparison study, subcutaneous mirikizumab proved superior to subcutaneous in achieving skin clearance in patients with plaque psoriasis…
Note: This article was updated July 21 to add recommendations on restarting biologics following COVID-19. On April 29, the ACR released Guidance for the Management of Adult Patients with Rheumatic Disease During the COVID‐19 Pandemic and later updated the guidance for publication in Arthritis & Rheumatology. The recommendations address various treatment options and provide general…
The ACR, on behalf of its more than 7,700 members of the professional rheumatology community, wishes to express strong support for Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and his continued and close involvement in the work to address the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During…
In a clinical trial, researchers compared the efficacy of abaloparatide with alendronate in reducing the risk of fracture among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The findings suggest initial treatment with abaloparatide may result in greater vertebral fracture reduction than alendronate…