A task force of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) has released new recommendations delineating the potential benefits and risks of prolonged therapy with oral and IV bisphosphonate therapy and providing guidance on duration of bisphosphonate therapy for postmenopausal osteoporosis.1 The task force makes clear that data and clinical experience on which…
Adapting to new standards of training for physicians has been difficult across specialties. But Calvin Brown Jr., MD, says that by investing time and patience to understand the big picture, rheumatologists will benefit from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Next Accreditation System…
Some patients with epilepsy have a higher risk of fracture due to falls, and some studies have suggested that anti-epileptic drugs may also contribute to the fracture risk. In a recent review, researchers examined if there is a link between epilepsy and osteoporosis, making recommendations to aid future research…
A recent study found that plasmacytoid dentricitic cells (pDCs) control the differentiation of immature B cells into regulatory B (Breg) cells or plasmablast, depending on the concentration of IFNα. For patients with SLE, researchers found that immune regulatory feedback between pDCs and Breg cells is dysfunctional, with the exception of patients who respond to rituximab…
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is remarkably diverse in presentation and course. To assist clinicians in its management, the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) published treatment recommendations in 2009 based on a systematic evidence review. To be clinically relevant, such recommendations must be dynamic, and significant developments in PsA pathophysiology and disease assessment, particularly regarding the important contribution of comorbidities coupled with major therapeutic advances, necessitated an update of the GRAPPA recommendations…
For keen students of American politics, the unending intrigue of the 2016 presidential race has been riveting. With an assemblage of aspiring candidates that, at its start, included a bevy of U.S. senators and former governors, a media-savvy real estate mogul, a renowned Hopkins neurosurgeon and an ophthalmologist, political junkies among us have feasted on…
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while acknowledging and non-judgmentally accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations. Known in Sanskrit as smrti, meaning “to remember,” in Pali, the language of early Buddhist scriptures, it is recognized by the word sati (mindfulness).1 Derived from ancient meditative Buddhist disciplines,…
Since 2005, the ACR’s Committee on Research has been responsible for advancing the research goals of the organization and providing leadership in research and research training in rheumatology via the ACR’s Research Agenda. The ACR Research Agenda is designed to address critical areas of research in rheumatic diseases, including the need for new technology, new…
As much as 80% of employee turnover can be attributed to bad hiring decisions, the Harvard Business Review reported.1 And turnover costs are high—one report estimated them to be 100–300% of the base salary of a replaced employee (with 150% commonly cited).2 Given this, the importance of hiring the right employees can’t be underestimated. So…
A recent research review compared the results of various studies on rehabilitation treatments, including immobilization, exercise and cold therapy, for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome after surgery. The authors concluded that little evidence supports the effectiveness of rehabilitation techniques, and many of the studies reviewed have similar limitations…