New research finds patients previously treated with antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals may be more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than patients who have not received these treatments…

New research finds patients previously treated with antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals may be more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than patients who have not received these treatments…
Benjamin J. Smith, PA-C, DFAAPA, Sonam Kiwalkar, MD, & Aileen Ledingham, PT, PhD, on behalf of the ARP eLearning subcommittee |
The Advanced Rheumatology Course (ARC) carries the distinction of being the first online educational product of the ACR/ARP. In the early 2000s, members of the College thoughtfully considered action needed to efficiently prepare health professionals looking to enter the rheumatology workforce. A decision was made to create online educational products with the specific target audience…
Scott Rodriguez, MD, Kenton Powell, MD, & Daniel Albert, MD |
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects approximately 1% of the adult population, and involvement of extra-articular tissue occurs in approximately 40% of patients over their lifetimes.1 RA-associated pericardial disease is an uncommon complication, and surgery is the only definitive therapy—according to current literature. In this report, we present the case of…
Carol Patton, with Keri Losavio |
ATLANTA—At the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting in November, the ACR and the ARP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care. This month, The Rheumatologist speaks with the winners of the ARP Merit Awards about their individual contributions to advancing rheumatology. You’ll also find a…
A recent study advances the understanding of factors associated with a target serum urate level of 6 mg/dL or less. Researchers found such factors as having a rheumatologist as the main provider of gout care contributed to achieving and maintaining this outcome. However, the presence of co-morbidities lowered a patient’s chances for achieving the target serum urate level, even with allopurinol use…
Historically, ankylosing spondylitis was considered mainly a male disease. But it has become evident this predominance is not as great as previously believed. Here we discuss recent developments in the area, including potential differences between the sexes in symptom and disease burden, immunological and genetic background, diagnostic delay, treatment response and ongoing research questions. Medical…
Lisa Carnago, FNP, Jenelle Hall, PharmD, & Stephanie Puryear, RMA |
More than 72,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2017, according to the National Institutes of Health.1 The impact of the opioid epidemic has affected many levels of patient care and, as a result, healthcare systems are responding to escalating death rates, new legislation and the possibility of compromised patient safety in a multitude of…
Adria Madera-Acosta, MD, Teresa Sosenko, MD, & Diana Girnita, MD, PhD |
Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is a life-threatening complication of systemic sclerosis. SRC occurs in 2–15% of patients with diffuse sclerosis and usually within the first five years from the time of diagnosis. Risk factors for SRC include, but are not limited to, early diagnosis, corticosteroid or cyclosporine use, and the presence of anti-RNA polymerase III…
Larry Beresford |
The traditional model for subspecialist consultations on hospitalized patients by outpatient-based rheumatologists may seem straightforward. Hospitalists (the inpatient specialists who now manage most in-hospital medical care in the majority of U.S. hospitals) typically call upon the rheumatologist’s expertise for joint swelling and a rash or fever of unknown origin, says Lianne Gensler, MD, of the…
When I first met Ms. Miller (name changed), quite frankly, I couldn’t wait to get out of the room. I’m sure she couldn’t either. A woman in her 40s with systemic lupus erythematosus, poorly controlled asthma and fibromyalgia, she seemed to have every conceivable symptom. And, worse than that, due to a long history of…