Rheumatology Advisor

Investigators suggest that biologic therapy is improved in rheumatoid arthritis treatment by the integration of synovial pathobiologic markers.

Researchers developed a new equation to calculate the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein (CRP), using only the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index total score and CRP.

Nearly 4 million adults 65 years of age and older with multimorbidity were studied.

Patients with severe psoriasis and those with mild psoriasis and concomitant psoriatic arthritis have an increased risk of uveitis.

Although the Medicaid expansion led to an 11.7% increase in overall spending, state budgets were insulated due to federal funding.

Study shows that physicians devote nearly 3.08 hours a day to face-to-face office visits and 3.17 hours to desktop medicine.

A review and meta-analysis indicates that spinal manipulative therapy is linked to modest improvements in low back pain.

Psoriatic arthritis, patient weight, registration country and more influence first-line biologic treatment selection for patients with psoriasis.

Use of enhanced patient-centered communication positively impacts a patient’s psychological state when given bad news.

Changes made by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act have affected the government’s approach to physician payment.

Researchers found a correlation between use of corticosteroids and increased odds of metabolic syndrome and elevated body mass index.

For postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the correlation between bone and basal metabolism depends on serum 25-hyroxyvitamin D levels.

A physician in Maine built an autoinjector device to work around the price hikes of EpiPens.

WCO 2017, FDA grants Rituxan Breakthrough Therapy status, and a close-up of pediatric Sjögren’s syndrome highlight this week’s The Handoff.

One-fifth of patients who sought a second opinion at a single academic medical center received a different diagnosis from their primary care providers.

The American Medical Association conducted a survey of 1200 doctors, residents and medical students to determine their career choice satisfaction.

Use of the Health Literacy Universal Precaution toolkit created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is essential in improving patient-clinician communication.

Women were found to have a lower median of scores in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index than men.

Researchers found that counties exposed to more television ads on the Affordable Care Act had lower rates of uninsured between 2013 and 2014.

The rate of malpractice claims paid on behalf of physicians decreased as mean compensation amounts increased from 1992 to 2014.

Study evaluated hand function and potential influence of functional loss on patients’ overall physical functions, health-related quality of life, and psychological status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis.

Ultrasonography detects different ankle pathologies in various inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

A single glucocorticoid intradiscal injection will reduce chronic low back pain with active discopathy for 1 month but not 12 months after injection.

Low serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA, and it’s sulfate (DHEAS) in older men are markers for osteoporotic fracture risk, researchers say.

New guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis treatment with DMARDs and money being steered into lupus research highlight this week’s The Handoff.

Guidelines on recommending statin treatment for African Americans differ between the US Preventive Services Task Force and the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association.

Practices with a higher proportion of high-needs patients achieve lower spending and utilization.

Amidst academic grand rounds speakers, women are found to be underrepresented.

Researchers found that prescribing opioids to patients for 8 or more days increases likelihood of long-term dependence.

Researchers find that patients discharged home after hip or knee arthroplasty recover as well and sometimes better than inpatient rehabilitation.