Associate Editor of The Rheumatologist on Working Sabbatical Maura Daly Iversen, PT, DPT, SD, MPH, professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences at Northeastern University, a behavioral scientist in the Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a lecturer at Harvard Medical School, Boston, and…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Contrary to previous research, mandating commercial insurance reimbursement of telemedicine was not associated with faster growth in Medicare telemedicine use, according to a newly published study. Dr. Ateev Mehrotra of Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues examined trends in telemedicine utilization by Medicare from 2004–2013 using claims from a 20% random sample…
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…
In February, new recommendations were released for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis, noting that NSAIDs may be the best initial treatment for the diseases, with TNF inhibitors as second-line therapies. The guideline was the result of a joint effort by the ACR, the Spondylitis Association of America and the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network…
A recent Phase 3 study found tofacitinib safe and effective for treating psoriatic arthritis at both 5 mg and 10 mg doses compared with placebo. And the FDA has added label warnings to saxagliptin and alogliptin for an increased risk of heart failure in individuals taking the drugs, particularly in those with heart and kidney disease…
As the need for specialists increases, the Rheumatology Fellowship Program at HHS seeks to grow the number of practicing rheumatologists. Program Director Anne Bass, MD, discusses the program’s ideas behind funding rheumatology fellowships and the challenges of attracting medical students to the field…
Two studies have shown that romosozumab is effective for increasing bone mineral density in both men and women with osteoporosis. And due to safety concerns, Janssen has dropped out of clinical trials for fulranumab, which is being studied to treat OA pain…
Clinical trials have begun to determine if disodium zoledronate tetrahydrate is safe and effective for treating pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The FDA has approved the use of ixekizumab for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. And a study has shown that patients with SLE treated with belimumab may be able to decrease steroid use…
SAN FRANCISCO—To convey the plight of rheumatology patients in sub-Saharan Africa, Girish Mody, MD, head of rheumatology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and past president of the African League of Associations for Rheumatology, recounted a story during the 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting from the World Health Organization about a diabetes patient. The…
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…