Search results for: Primary care

European Commission Approves Subcutaneous Belimumab for SLE; FDA Safety Alert for Febuxostat

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | November 29, 2017

Subcutaneous belimumab has been approved in the EU to help treat patients with active autoantibody-positive SLE…

Physical Activity, Exercise Can Benefit Patients with RA

August Floden, PT, MS | November 9, 2017

While medical advances in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have led to improvements in disease control and quality of life for patients worldwide, the rate for stable remission remains low.1 Management of RA symptoms is traditionally accomplished through a combination of medications and nonpharmacological interventions.2 This approach can prevent the development of secondary adverse health outcomes. Two…

Bisphosphonates May Limit Fracture Risk in Users of Oral Glucocorticoids

Reuters Staff | November 8, 2017

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Early oral bisphosphonate use is associated with a lower risk of fractures among oral-glucocorticoid users, researchers from Canada report. Bisphosphonates are commonly used for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, but their efficacy has been established only in primary osteoporosis, where the mechanism of action of bone loss differs from that seen with glucocorticoid use. Dr….

Researchers Examine Lifetime Risk of Total Hip Replacements

Arthritis Care & Research | November 6, 2017

Total hip replacement (THR) surgery is an effective way to reduce pain and improve function in people with advanced hip osteoarthritis (OA). In light of aging populations, there’s a need to use contemporary, population-level data to plan for future service provision. In a study designed to compare THR data across countries, researchers demonstrated a significant increase in the overall use of and lifetime risk for THR from 2003 to 2013. Women consistently had a higher lifetime risk of surgery than men in all five countries studied, whereas men in all five countries demonstrated a significant increase in lifetime risk for THR over time…

Meet Dr. David Daikh—the ACR’s New President

Carol Patton | October 31, 2017

This month, the ACR ushers in its new president, David Daikh, MD, PhD. Dr. Daikh serves as the director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and as chief of the Rheumatology Division at the SFVA Medical Center, where he directs the Rheumatology Clinic. He graduated from the Oregon…

Where OA & Depression Intersect

Carina Stanton | October 20, 2017

Pain, limited mobility and lower quality of life—these aspects of living with osteoarthritis may result in severe depression. New research from Alan Rathbun, PhD, MPH, may enable physicians to better understand the intersection of physical and mental health so they can improve overall patient care…

Fulbright Scholar Researches Physical Activity in Swedish Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Carina Stanton | October 18, 2017

A stroll through downtown Stockholm presents a quintessential picture of an active community, with most people biking or walking as their preferred mode of travel. Yet children in Sweden who live with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)—currently estimated at around 64 of every 100,000—don’t always engage in this active lifestyle.1 Maura Daly Iversen, PT, DPT, SD,…

Heated Gloves May Improve Hand Function in Diffuse Systemic Sclerosis

Rosemarie Curley, MPT, DPT, & Jeananne Elkins, PT, PhD, DPT, MPH | October 16, 2017

Systemic sclerosis (SSc), a subtype of scleroderma, is a rare, complex autoimmune disease characterized by widespread vasculopathy of the small arteries and fibroblast dysfunction.1,2 It has been described as a fibrosing microvascular disease, because vascular injury precedes and leads to tissue fibrosis.3 The resulting Raynaud’s phenomenon, pain, skin thickening and tightening, and multi-organ involvement have…

Adalimumab + Methotrexate Effective for Uveitis in JIA

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | October 2, 2017

Research has found that taking adalimumab plus methotrexate is effective for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis. However, these patients may also experience an increased incidence of adverse and serious adverse events compared with those taking only methotrexate…

Unbudgeted: How the Opioid Crisis Is Blowing a Hole in Small-Town America’s Finances

Paula Seligson & Tim Reid | September 20, 2017

INDIANA, Pa./CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (Reuters)—As deaths mount in America’s opioid crisis, communities on the front lines face a hidden toll: the financial cost. Ross County, a largely rural region of 77,000 people an hour south of Columbus, Ohio, is wrestling with an explosion in opioid-related deaths—44 last year compared with 19 in 2009. The drug addiction…