Herpes Zoster Increases the Risk of Stroke and MI
At the 2015 ACR annual meeting in San Francisco, Len Calabrese, DO, of the Cleveland Clinic, gave a plenary session talk linking "shingles" infection to an increased risk of CVA (
News
Can Gout and Rheumatoid Arthritis Coexist?
German investigators studied 100 RA patients with a uric acid > 6 mg/dl and assessed them for MSU crystal deposit with dual energy computed tomography (DECT) of both feet and hands.
Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Influences Early, But Not Established Lupus
The Journal of Immunology has published the findings of Virginia Tech researchers who have studied plasmacytoid dendritic cells and their ability to induce type I alpha interferon (IFN-α) in lupus. (Citation source: http://buff.ly/1MceeCl)
CDC Reports Increases in Tularemia
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a sharp rise in tularemia, especially in Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska.
Exercise Benefits Osteoarthritis Hip Pain
(Reuters Health) - Water- or land-based exercise should provide some short-term benefit in pain management for hip osteoarthritis, though there are few well-designed trials testing it, according to a new review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
RA Guidelines, Methotrexate and Mortal Risks in Gout: November 2015 top social media news
Here's what you may have missed: in November 2015, RheumNow published 80 tweets on news, research and teaching points that impact the rheumatology community. We had a reach (impressions) of 79,100, 79 mentions, and over 3399 visits to RheumNow.com to check out what we publish.
Skin Cancer Risk in ANCA+ Vasculitis
Previously, granulomatous polyangitis (GPA or Wegener's) was known to have an increase risk of cancer, especially bladder cancer, presumeably due to cyclophosphamide (CTX) exposure.
Two-Fold Increase of Demyelinating Diseases with TNF Inhibition
Despite the potential contributory role of TNF in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, several trials have shown that TNF inhibitor (TNFi) use may lead to worsening of MS, optic neuritis and other demyelinating disorders.
DRIVE Trial: Denosumab and Methotrexate Prevent Joint Erosions
Joint erosions in RA result from a complex process with multiple contributing mechanisms. One of those mechanisms involves RANK receptor activation by RANKL leading to osteoclast differentiation, activation and survival.
Changing Patterns of Drug Use in Pregnant Rheumatic Patients: Steroids Down, Biologics Up
Desai and coworkers analyzed public and private insurance claims data (2001-2012) to assess patterns of drug use in pregnant woment with RA, SLE, PsA and AS. Specifically, they looked at immunosuppressive drug use in the 3 months preceding and during pregnancy.
EULAR 2015 Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment Guidelines
The management of psoriatic disease, including psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has evolved significantly in the last decade. Nevertheless, there are still some uncertainties - such as what the role of methotrexate should be, and when to use newer and novel therapies.
Drug Safety Update for November 2015
The Down-Side of Electronic Medical Records. EMRs (or EHRs) have become increasingly utilized in daily practice. The benefits of these include better record-keeping, safe prescribing, patient and drug tracking, adverse event monitoring and checks for drug interaction.
