Indigenous communities in Latin America lack good healthcare—and often lack any healthcare—for musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases.1 Global health initiatives tend to focus on infectious disease, despite the increasing rate of chronic diseases. In a survey of 6,155 individuals from eight indigenous communities, conducted by a team of Latin American investigators, the prevalence of these conditions…
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), like other inflammatory diseases, has been associated with increased incidence for and mortality from cardioÂvascular disease (CVD), the most common comorbidity leading to death in many conditions treated by rheumatologists. But beyond recognizing the burden of increased inflammation, the mechanisms behind this association are not well understood, says M. Elaine Husni, MD,…
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…
Severe infections occurred in 25% of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) who were treated with rituximab, according to results of an observational study conducted in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Austria. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) prophylaxis, however, reduced the risk of severe infections, the investigators reported in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.1 Andreas…
A recent study suggests Zilretta, an intra-articular injection for OA knee pain, may lower blood glucose levels in OA patients…
(Reuters Health)—Vitamin D supplementation may not improve bone density or prevent fractures and falls in adults, a large new analysis suggests. After combining data from 81 randomized controlled trials, researchers found no bone benefits from supplementing the vitamin, according to the report in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, online October 4. “Our results show that…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Depressed individuals over age 50 should be screened for arthritis pain because the two conditions often occur together, worsening mental and physical health outcomes, researchers say. “Our findings shed light on the high rates of self-reported, doctor-diagnosed arthritis in U.S. older adults with varying degrees of depression,” Dr. Jessica Brooks of the…
The FDA is warning that patients with type 2 diabetes taking SGLT2 inhibitors may be at risk of developing a rare, serious infection, Fournier’s gangrene…
Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are difficult to diagnose, but they affect multiple systems and are associated with other autoimmune diseases. Lan Chen, MD, PhD, believes better testing and clearer education will be a gamechanger for celiac patients…
Studies highlighting the large numbers of people affected by knee osteoarthritis (OA) point to what clinicians who treat knee OA have been seeing for the past few decades: a substantial increase in the prevalence of knee OA in the U.S. and globally. Roughly 250 million people are affected by knee OA worldwide, and about 14…