The HCPLive Rheumatology condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on rheumatologic disease. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for arthritis, gout, nr-AxSpA, and more.
April 17th 2024
A pooled analysis revealed a loading-dose regimen, especially for patients receiving secukinumab 150 mg for PsA, increases the odds of disease improvement.
"REEL" Time Patient Counseling™: Integrating Biosimilars into the Clinical Conversation
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Cases and Conversations™: Keeping Up with Novel Approaches to Managing ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
November 2024
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EGPA: Highlighting the Patient Journey to Improve the Differential Diagnosis and Accelerate the Initiation of Guideline-Based Care
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Expert Illustrations & Commentaries™: Envisioning Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Managing ANCA-associated Vasculitis
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Clinical Consultations™: Optimal Approaches to Recognizing and Treating ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
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New Genetic Test Will Enable Early Detection - and Treatment - of Psoriatic Arthritis
September 16th 2009A new genetic test that can detect the presence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) was launched on Tuesday, September 15, that may enable physicians to administer early treatment, lessening joint damage and decreasing inflammation, therefore reducing symptoms.
Stress in the Workplace may Decrease an Individual's Risk for Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis
September 10th 2009Psychosocial work stress has been previously associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. New research now reveals that high work stress may actually decrease an individual's chance of developing inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis in a patient with severe psoriasis: Narrowing the differential
August 29th 2009An 84-year-old woman presented with pain and swelling in her knees and hands. She had a history of severe psoriasis and osteoarthritis. How can you make a differential diagnosis when OA may coexist with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, OA, and crystal arthritis? Read on to find out.
Majority of Chronic Pain Patients Improperly Use Prescribed Medications
August 27th 2009An Ameritox study found that of 938,586 urine toxicology tests administered to chronic pain patients over a three-year period, 11% detected major illicit drugs and 29% had a medication in their system that the patient's doctor was likely unaware of.
Updated H1N1 (swine) flu advisory for persons with lupus
August 27th 2009The precautionary recommendations for the H1N1 (swine) flu in persons with lupus currently are not different from those for the general public, according to the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA). However, because persons with lupus often are at increased risk for infections, especially if they are taking immunosuppressive agents, they should be particularly vigilant about taking the generally recommended precautions.
Hepatitis screening not useful for patients with polyarthritis
August 25th 2009The seroprevalence of hepatitis is no higher in patients with recent-onset polyarthritis than in the general population. Therefore, screening patients for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection when evaluating them for polyarthritis suggestive of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not useful.
Social activity in older persons slows motor function decline
August 25th 2009In older persons who do not have dementia, stroke, or Parkinson disease, a lower frequency of participation in social activity is associated with more rapid motor function decline. Conversely, participation in a broad spectrum of late-life activities results in positive health outcomes.
Laboratory tests help identify, but do not confirm, RA
August 25th 2009In most patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the results of common laboratory testing-rheumatoid factor (RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) level-are abnormal and may be used to support the diagnosis. However, a substantial proportion of patients with RA have normal test results.
Do changes in femoral neck geometry predict hip osteoarthritis?
August 25th 2009A wider femoral neck and more medial centroid position of bone mineral in the femoral neck are associated with an increased risk of prevalent, incident, and progressive radiographic hip osteoarthritis (RHOA). These differences are detectable early in the natural history of hip OA.
FDA now Requires Stronger Warning Labels for Tumor-necrosis Factor-alpha Blockers
August 21st 2009The FDA is now requiring that stronger product warnings be included in the prescribing information of tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers because of an increased risk of cancer in the children and adolescents who take them.
Established and Novel Treatments for Lupus
August 4th 2009Although many medications are used for the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its complications, only aspirin, corticosteroids, and the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are specifically approved by the FDA.1 Most other medications used for SLE treatment are commercially available off label (Table 1), usually borrowed from cancer or transplant regimens. In some cases, medications have been approved for a specific clinical manifestation seen in both idiopathic disease and SLE, such as bosentan for pulmonary hypertension.
Evaluating cardiovascular risk in rheumatoid arthritis
August 4th 2009There have been significant advances in the management of rheumatologic disorders with the availability of newer disease-modifying drugs and biologic agents. However, cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality remain significantly increased in patients with rheumatologic disorders, especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA)1-4 and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Making bone health a top priority
August 2nd 2009An estimated 52 million Americans will have osteoporosis and low bone mass by next year, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), constituting what the Surgeon General 5 years ago termed "a major public health threat" with "epidemic" proportions. For 25 years, the NOF has been dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and related fractures, promoting lifelong bone health, improving the lives of those affected by the condition and-through programs of awareness, advocacy, public and health professional education, and research-finding a cure. This year, the NOF is marking its 25th anniversary by providing sets of 25 osteoporosis and bone health educational materials for patients and their physicians.
Delineating risk factors may prevent lower extremity injury
August 2nd 2009Athletes classified as having high generalized joint laxity demonstrate increased midfoot loading, according to researchers at the Sports Medicine Biodynamics Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Foss and associates1 noted that delineation of risk factors for medial collapse of the foot, including hypermobility in athletes, may help clinicians evaluate and prevent lower extremity injury.
Low back pain contributors: Defining a role for biomechanical deficiencies
August 2nd 2009Although low back pain (LBP) may be attributed to a variety of known vertebral disorders (eg, fractures, infections, tumors, and hernias), a definitive diagnosis often remains elusive.1 Biomechanical deficiencies of the lumbar spine may be a contributor, according to students at the University of Southern California's Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Laboratory (MBRL), and they are conducting research to determine what role the deficiencies may play in an effort to identify improved rehabilitation interventions.
Combination therapy improves both pain and depression
August 1st 2009For patients who have comorbid depression and musculoskeletal pain, optimized antidepressant therapy combined with pain self-management may result in substantial improvements in both conditions. However, additional interventions may be needed to achieve bigger improvements in pain and higher depression response and remission rates.
BMD-erosions correlation in RA: Potential for bone-directed treatments?
August 1st 2009Hip bone mineral density (BMD) correlates with erosion scores in postmenopausal women who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although the relationship is not statistically significant after adjustment for clinical factors. BMD and erosions appear to be more strongly correlated in patients with early RA. Solomon and coworkers studied 163 postmenopausal women being treated for RA but not for osteoporosis.
Balloon kyphoplasty better for vertebral compression fracture
August 1st 2009Balloon kyphoplasty results in more and faster improvements in quality of life and disability measures and reduction of back pain than nonsurgical treatment for patients with acute painful vertebral fracture. However, the differences in improvement diminish by 1 year after treatment for most outcome measures, probably because of natural fracture healing.
Clinical utility of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire is enhanced
August 1st 2009Bennett RM, Bushmakin AG, Cappelleri JC, et al, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, and other centers. Minimal clinically important difference in the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire. J Rheumatol. 2009;36:1304-1311.