Researchers working to decode the epigenetic landscape for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were surprised to discover a connection to Huntington’s disease, a finding that could pave the way to discoveries of new therapeutic targets. By developing new methods to integrate data from epigenetic technologies, scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), set out to…
In summer 2017, I was a few months post-partum when I received an email announcing applications for the ACR’s Advocacy 101 program. It would take only a few days, but I asked my division director if it would be worth the time commitment. He questioned the career benefits of advocacy, but encouraged me to apply…
A patient Zachary Wallace, MD, MSc, met during his third year of medical school at Georgetown University helped lead him to his passion for rheumatology. He was completing a clinical rotation in medicine, and the experience made rheumatologic disease tangible for him. “She had lupus, and I became interested in her case,” he says. Later,…
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is the recipient of the ACR’s 2018 Award for Public Leadership in Rheumatology. Sen. Collins has championed several pieces of legislation that support rheumatologists and rheumatology patients, and she has taken part in multiple efforts to address ongoing concerns in rheumatology. “Sen. Collins has consistently worked both sides of the aisle…
Early in her medical school career, Beth Jonas, MD, FACR, was fascinated by the multi-system and chronic nature of rheumatic diseases. The field of rheumatology offered her the chance to make long-term connections with the patients she cares for, and she says her early instincts have led her to a career that has not disappointed….
The 2018 U.S. midterm elections mobilized American voters, bringing more than 100 million people to the polls.1 It also brought the House of Representatives under the control of Democrats, while Republicans maintained control of the Senate, splitting the legislative branch between two parties. As the 116th Congress prepares to convene in January 2019, the ACR’s…
Patients with rheumatic diseases may be undertreated for osteoporosis. To decrease fracture risk for at-risk patients, rheumatologists can engage patients in shared decision making with regular screening and education about treatment options…
Both private and academic rheumatology practices face payer challenges that put the health of their patients and their practices at risk. To make sure the rheumatologist perspective is heard by payers, “the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) serves as the interface between payers and our members and ACR colleagues,” explains Sean Fahey, MD, a rheumatologist in…
Mart Mannik, MD, professor emeritus, Division of Rheumatology at the University of Washington (UW), passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018. Dr. Mannik was born in Estonia and came to the U.S. at age 12 as a refugee from World War II. He received his medical degree from Western Reserve University School of Medicine in…
Pain sensitization, such as that experienced by patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), has been associated with poorer clinical outcomes after surgery. New research has found that, although pain sensitization in CTS patients correlates with preoperative symptom severity, CTS symptoms did not have a persistent effect on functional outcomes after surgery…