In a study, researchers found rheumatoid arthritis patients experience a persistent burden of functional disability regardless of disease duration, age or gender.

In a study, researchers found rheumatoid arthritis patients experience a persistent burden of functional disability regardless of disease duration, age or gender.
For some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, regular repeated treatment with rituximab may prevent disease flare, according to a study from Cassia et al.
National Institutes of Health |
National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, has selected Lindsey A. Criswell, MD, MPH, DSc, as director of NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). A rheumatologist, Dr. Criswell is currently the vice chancellor of research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is a professor…
Lisa Rapaport |
(Reuters Health)—Age-adjusted hip fracture incidence has declined in the U.S. over the past four decades, aided by a decline in smoking and alcohol consumption, a new study suggests. Researchers examined data on 4,918 men and 5,634 women who participated in the prospective Framingham Heart Study from 1970 to 2010. Overall, the age-adjusted incidence of hip…
For most rheumatologists, the key elements of the physical exam—inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation—have long been second nature, but a fifth modality has grown in importance with respect to making the correct diagnosis: ultrasound. From evaluating for Doppler signal and additional findings indicative of synovitis to identifying bony erosions, chondrocalcinosis, tophi and other articular and…
Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, MD, MEd, Ryan Jessee, MD, & David Leverenz, MD |
It has been about 20 years since the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) published the report To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, shining light on the impact of medical errors in healthcare.1 In response to that publication, the focus on quality improvement (QI) started in the inpatient setting,…
Caring for pediatric patients during a pandemicin the age of COVID-19 requires adaptations, says Jay Mehta, MD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “The one exposure that seems to put [pediatric] patients at risk is if they are on higher doses of steroids, with some data suggesting worse outcomes. We just put out guidelines telling providers to reduce steroids in their patients to the lowest dose that can adequately control their disease.”
Research into the disease-modifying effects of the novel cathepsin K inhibitor MIV-711 suggests it may be effective as a knee OA treatment. In OA patients using the treatment, the study documented statistically significant reductions in bone and cartilage progression…
Vania Lin, MD, MPH, & Leah Krull, MD |
Clinically amyotrophic dermatomyositis (CADM), a subset of dermatomyositis (DM), is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by typical DM cutaneous findings (e.g., heliotrope rash, Gottron papules, Gottron sign) without evidence of myositis.1 The incidence of DM and CADM is approximately 9.63 per 1 million people and 2.08 per 1 million people, respectively.2 The association with development…
Unable to connect with rheumatology fellows and patients in person, Anisha Dua, MD, MPH, and a team of rheumatologists have worked quickly to find new ways to communicate and share resources. Dr. Dua directs rheumatology medical education and the fellowship training program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH), Chicago. She spoke with The Rheumatologist about how…