It’s often said the eyes are the window to the soul, and in the case of ankylosing spondylitis and other spondyloarthropathies, one can also say the eyes are the window to systemic disease. Although uveitis occurs in approximately 2–5% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 6–9% of patients with psoriatic arthritis and 25% of patients…
As the 21st century unfolds, rheumatologists will most likely transition from prescribing lupus patients broad immunosuppressants to more targeted treatment approaches. But to make this happen and advance research, the challenges experienced in lupus clinical trial design must be addressed…
Rheumatology professional and patients visited with 117 legislators and their staffs during the 2019 Advocates for Arthritis event to champion better rheumatology patient care and access.
In a national survey of more than 1,500 Americans with rheumatic disease, more than half reported struggling to access affordable care and nearly two-thirds described challenges performing simple daily tasks.
RheumPAC is the ACR’s non-partisan political action committee, which promotes the needs of rheumatology providers and patients. Advocacy efforts often focus on legislation to improve the day-to-day clinical care of rheumatology patients, such as establishing clinical exceptions to step therapy requirements and reforming the prior authorization process. In addition, the ACR and RheumPAC recognize the…
Betty Diamond, MD, Recognized as Distinguished Fellow by American Association of Immunologists At its annual meeting in May in San Diego, the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) recognized Betty Diamond, MD, as a distinguished fellow. Dr. Diamond is professor and head of the Center for Autoimmune, Musculoskeletal and Hematopoietic Diseases at the Feinstein Institutes for…
As a young child, Jim O’Dell, MD, spent hours with his grandfather in his basement, making bird houses and bird feeders. “My grandfather, who was a woodworker, was one of the most influential people in my life,” Dr. O’Dell says. “He probably cringed at the crude things I made, but he certainly never let me…
When patients with lupus are hospitalized, they should be screened and likely treated for venous thromboembolism, researchers of a nationwide study say. In May, ACR Open Rheumatology published results of the large retrospective study spanning several years. Researchers analyzed trends in mortality, morbidity and hospitalization from venous thromboembolism (VTE), specifically among patients diagnosed with systemic…
The prevalence of chronic opioid use among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) doubled between 2002 and 2015, especially among patients with severe pain or on antidepressants, according to a new study.1 The study adds to prior data reporting trends in chronic opioid use in RA patients.2,3 Severe pain was the strongest predictor for use of…
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) therapy may effectively manage systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in many patients, but that doesn’t mean patients will take it as often as they should. In fact, results from a recently published study found that about half of SLE patients were not adherent.1 The study was led by Lucy H. Liu, MD, MPH, a…