番茄社区

Rheumatology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in rheumatology.

Heart Risk Higher in Sjogren's Patients

PARIS -- Patients with Sjogren's syndrome had more than double the heart attack risk seen in the general population, a researcher reported here.

Orencia Combo Tops in Early, Severe RA

PARIS -- In a study of patients with poor-prognosis early rheumatoid arthritis, more patients treated with abatacept (Orencia) plus methotrexate were in remission at 1 year than were those on methotrexate alone, a researcher reported here.

AMA Clamps Down on MOC, But Punts on Gun Regs

CHICAGO -- The AMA鈥檚 House of Delegates drew the line on this year's hot button topic -- maintenance of certification (MOC), saying it should not be mandatory, nor should it be a condition of licensure.

How To Tell Fake Neck Pain From Real: The Pain Medicine News Report

A regular update on what鈥檚 new in surgery from our friends at Pain Medicine News.

Vaccines and Biologics: Questions Remain

Vaccinations for patients with autoimmune diseases -- specifically patients being treated with biologics -- bring with them a variety of issues, including disease-specific, medication-related, and vaccine-associated factors, researchers suggested.

Bone Drug No Help in Severe Gout

Bisphosphonate treatment failed to prevent the development of bone erosions in patients with longstanding tophaceous gout, a 2-year randomized study found.

Medtronic's Infuse Moves From Operating Room to Courtroom

An investigative series by 番茄社区/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has been tracking the spinal fusion device called Infuse in a 4-year-long series and now reports how a flawed FDA system for device approval may have led to a long string of adverse events culminating in thousands of liability suits.

Shingle Risk High in Lupus, RA, COPD

Patients with autoimmune diseases and certain other chronic conditions are at increased risk for herpes zoster, a U.K. case-control study found.

Humira No Help for Arthritic Hands

Treatment of hand osteoarthritis with adalimumab (Humira) was unsuccessful, a randomized multicenter trial found.

MRI Helps ID Heart Risk in Scleroderma

LIVERPOOL -- Cardiac MRI could help provide diagnostic information about potential arrhythmogenic events among patients with scleroderma being considered for implantable cardioverter defibrillators, a researcher said here.

RA Patients Living a Decade Longer

LIVERPOOL -- Life expectancy among patients with rheumatoid arthritis has increased dramatically over the past 25 years, a researcher reported here.

Shingles Vaccine OK in Mild Lupus

NEW YORK -- Vaccination against shingles may be safe for patients with mild, stable systemic lupus erythematosus, a researcher said here.

Rheuminations: Blame the Pain on the Rain?

Do your arthritis patients complain that their symptoms are influenced by the cold and wet weather? There's plenty of support for this, including a new study out of the Netherlands seeking to quantify this link and examine contributing factors.

A Cure for Chlamydia Arthritis?

Increased understanding of the biology and survival tactics of Chlamydia trachomatis is suggesting that the post-infectious chronic arthritis experienced by many patients may actually be curable.

Medtronic Sued by 1,000 Infuse Patients

Medtronic said about 1,000 people have sued the company over its bone morphogenetic protein-2 product, Infuse, and that many more lawsuits may be coming.

Killing Pain: Xanax Tops Charts

Alprazolam, more popularly known by its brand name -- Xanax--is America's favorite tranquilizer and one that is often used in combination with an opioid.

Rituxan Offers Little Help for Sjogren's

Treatment for primary Sjogren's syndrome with the B-cell depleting antibody rituximab (Rituxan) failed to provide statistically significant improvements, despite the increasing evidence for B cells in the pathogenesis of this disorder, French researchers reported.

Top News in Rheumatology: Epstein-Barr and Autoimmunity

Epstein-Barr virus and autoimmunity topped a busy week in rheumatology followed by a study linking smoking and RA and the recall of an arthritis supplement.

Killing Pain: Tramadol the 'Safe' Drug of Abuse

Almost 2 decades have passed since the FDA approved tramadol as a 'safe' opioid, but the intervening years provide evidence to question that 'safe' claim, as this latest investigation by John Fauber for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-番茄社区 revealed.

Neuropathy May Signal Lupus

Peripheral neuropathy is a more common manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus than has been previously appreciated, and often is a small-fiber neuropathy affecting the dorsal root ganglia, a large retrospective study found.

High IgG Signals Autoimmunity in Kids

High levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in children -- and particularly girls -- were associated with the development of autoimmune disease, researchers found.

Autoantibodies a Big Deal in Sjogren鈥檚

SAN DIEGO -- A broader range of autoantibodies may play a role in Sjogren's syndrome than has previously been appreciated, researchers found.

Mom's Lupus Tied to Child's Autism

SAN DIEGO -- Children born to mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus have twice the risk for autism spectrum disorders as those whose mothers are unaffected, a Canadian researcher reported here.

Antidepressants, Lyrica OK Combo in Fibromyalgia

SAN DIEGO -- Patients with fibromyalgia who were taking antidepressants found that their pain was successfully managed with pregabalin (Lyrica), a researcher said here.

Few Lupus, IBD Patients Getting HPV Vaccine

SAN DIEGO -- Despite being at greater risk of infection, few children and young adults with autoimmune diseases are being vaccinated against human papillomavirus, according to a study.

Opioid Use Common After Spine Surgery

NEW ORLEANS -- One year after surgery to relieve back pain, about of third of patients still were using narcotic painkillers, according to a study that raised new concerns about the long-term use of opioids.

FDA Warns of Fatal Skin Reactions with Acetaminophen

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Acetaminophen is associated with rare but severe and sometimes fatal skin reactions at usual doses, the FDA said Thursday.

Nephritis May Raise Death Risk in Lupus

The presence of renal involvement in patients with lupus was associated with a significantly increased mortality risk, a longitudinal Chinese study found.

FDA Panel Nixes Humira for Spinal Arthritis

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- An independent panel of FDA advisers overwhelmingly rejected AbbVie's bid to gain approval of Humira (adalimumab) for treatment of spinal arthritis.

Sjogren's Carries Heavy Disease Burden

BIRMINGHAM, England -- Patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome are prone to develop serious complications over the long term, despite the presumption that this is a relatively benign autoimmune disease, a 25-year review found.

Abortion Rate No Higher in Women on RA Drug

Women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being treated with methotrexate had no increase in the rate of induced abortions despite the drug's known teratogenicity, a case-control study showed.

Model Predicts MRSA in Septic Arthritis

CHICAGO -- A model that included easily obtainable values early in treatment successfully ruled out most cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in children with septic arthritis, researchers found.

FDA Panel Gives Thumbs Down to Opioid

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- An FDA advisory committee voted 11-2 on Friday against recommending approval of a single-entity hydrocodone product, raising questions about its abuse potential.

Enbrel Best Buy Among Anti-TNFs

LAS VEGAS -- The tumor necrosis factor inhibitor etanercept (Enbrel) was more cost-effective for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis than were two other biologic agents in this class, a budget impact analysis found.

Lupus Patients Tend to Skip Pap Tests

WASHINGTON -- Women with systemic lupus erythematosus do not appear undergo timely cervical cancer screening despite being at an increased risk for cervical dysplasia and HPV infection, researchers said here.

TB No Barrier to Anti-TNF Treatment

WASHINGTON -- Patients being treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors who develop tuberculosis may safely reinstitute their biologic before completing the lengthy TB treatment regimen, a retrospective study suggested.

Enbrel Best for RA If Taken Over Long Term

WASHINGTON -- Most rheumatoid arthritis patients who achieve a state of low disease activity taking etanercept (Enbrel) fare better if they remain on therapy, even if only at a lower dose, a researcher reported here.

Drug Relieves Opioid-Induced Constipation

LAS VEGAS -- An investigational opioid antagonist provided effective and durable relief from opioid-induced constipation in patients with chronic pain without interfering with analgesia, a randomized trial showed.

Anatomy of an Epidemic: The Opioid Movie

The national clamor over abuse of prescription opioids is now at a fever pitch, but little has been said about what drove the boon in opioid prescriptions. This latest report from 番茄社区/ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analyzes a pivotal Oxycontin marketing video, it's impact and its aftermath.

Food Allergy Common in Joint Disorder

ORLANDO -- Children with the inherited disorder known as Ehlers Danlos type 3 syndrome may be at high risk for severe food allergy, British researchers reported here.

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