Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Rheumatology for May 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Severe Cutaneous Adverse Effect From Tocilizumab Described
WEDNESDAY, May 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) — In a case report published online May 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a severe adverse cutaneous reaction to tocilizumab in a 55-year-old patient is described.
CDC: Prevalence of Arthritis 31.8% in Most Rural Areas of U.S.
WEDNESDAY, May 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of arthritis is 31.8 percent in the most rural areas and 20.5 percent in the most urban areas of the United States, according to research published in the May 26 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Social Psychology May Help With Physician Error Disclosure
TUESDAY, May 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Lessons from social psychology can be used to improve behavioral changes in terms of error disclosure, according to research published online May 18 in Medical Education.
High-Risk Pools May Represent Step Back for U.S. Health Care
TUESDAY, May 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Proposed legislation as part of the American Health Care Act, which includes the option of high-risk pools, is not likely to reduce costs, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online May 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Little Benefit for Etanercept-MTX Before Triple Therapy in RA
TUESDAY, May 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, first-line etanercept-methotrexate is associated with increased costs compared with triple therapy, while providing minimal benefit, according to a cost-effectiveness analysis published online May 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Ixekizumab Improves Symptoms in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis
TUESDAY, May 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Ixekizumab (Taltz) appears beneficial in reducing the pain and disability of psoriatic arthritis, according to research published online May 24 in The Lancet.
New Health Care Act Could Result in 23 Million Losing Insurance
FRIDAY, May 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Republican-led bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that passed the House this month would result in 23 million Americans losing their health insurance coverage, according to a report issued by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
New Bill Intends to Repeal Limits on Physician-Owned Hospitals
FRIDAY, May 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would repeal the federal law essentially banning construction of physician-owned hospitals and making it difficult for these facilities to grow, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Some Benefit for Curcuminoids in Knee Osteoarthritis
FRIDAY, May 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Curcuminoids seem beneficial for knee osteoarthritis (OA), although they are less effective for pain relief than ibuprofen, according to a review and meta-analysis published online May 4 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
New Interactive Module Aims to Clarify Professional Boundaries
THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A new interactive training module in medical ethics can help physicians to understand professional boundaries, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Remission Up for Mepolizumab in Eosinophilic Granulomatosis
THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Mepolizumab is associated with significantly more weeks in remission than placebo among patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, according to a study published in the May 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Path to Empathy Deemed As Vital As Being Empathetic
THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Different paths to perspective of another’s experience are associated with varying effect on helpers’ health during helping behavior, according to a study published online April 16 in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.
Knee Pain Relief Seen With Fiber, Chondroitin in Osteoarthritis
THURSDAY, May 25, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Fiber and/or the dietary supplement chondroitin may help reduce knee pain from arthritis, according to two studies published online May 23 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
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Doctors Urged to Check Patient Drug History Before Opioid Rx
WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Prescription databases can help combat drug abuse when doctors are required by law to check them before writing opioid prescriptions, according to a study to be published in a future issue of the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy.
Poverty Affects Severity of Organ Damage Due to Lupus
MONDAY, May 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Poverty and race are tied to the health of lupus patients in the United States, according to two new studies.
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Nine of Ten Practices Surveyed Have Dismissed Patients
MONDAY, May 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The majority of medical practices have dismissed patients, according to a research letter published online May 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Tips Provided to Help Physicians Plan for Retirement
THURSDAY, May 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Physicians should consider their retirement and plan ahead at all stages of their career, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Weight Loss, Aerobic+Resistance Exercise Best for Obese Seniors
THURSDAY, May 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Engaging in aerobic and resistance exercise while losing weight enables elderly obese patients to maintain more muscle mass and bone density compared to those who do just one type of exercise or none at all, according to a study published in the May 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Treatment in Hospital by Older Doctors Tied to Higher Mortality
WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Hospitalized patients 65 and older may face a slightly higher risk of dying within a month of their admittance when treated by an older versus younger physician, according to research published online May 16 in The BMJ.
CDC: Slowing of Decline in Number of Uninsured Adults
WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The decline in the number of Americans without health insurance stalled in 2016 after five years of progress, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Tuesday.
No Evidence Steroids Benefit Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis
TUESDAY, May 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Regular use of corticosteroid injections for degenerative knee disease is ineffective and may even result in cartilage loss, according to a study published in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Plan Suggested for Reducing Health Care Costs
TUESDAY, May 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Health care costs can be reduced, with a nine-step plan suggested as a starting place, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Circulating Th17.1 Cells in Melanoma Tied to Sarcoidosis
MONDAY, May 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There is an association between the presence of abnormally high numbers of circulating Th17.1 cells in melanoma patients prior to receiving anti-programmed cell death (PD)-1 antibody therapy and the onset of sarcoidosis, according to research published online May 8 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
Quinine Exposure Linked to All-Cause Mortality
MONDAY, May 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Long-term quinine exposure is associated with increased mortality, according to a research letter published in the May 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Hospitals Need to Be Prepared for Ransomware Attacks
FRIDAY, May 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Hackers are increasingly targeting hospitals, using viruses to lock their computer systems and hold sensitive medical data and other files hostage, according to an observation piece published online May 11 in The BMJ.
Practice Prices Linked to Some Measures of Care Coordination
THURSDAY, May 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — High-price practices have higher scores on certain measures of care coordination and management, but the overall relationship between higher prices and quality and efficiency of care is weak, according to a report published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
Outpatient Wait Times Are Longer for Medicaid Recipients
THURSDAY, May 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Medicaid patients have slightly longer waits at medical appointments than those with private insurance, according to a report published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
Adherence to DASH Diet May Help Lower Occurrence of Gout
WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is effective for prevention of gout, according to a study published online May 9 in The BMJ.
Increases in Rates of Insured Don’t Harm Continuously Insured
WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Increases in insurance coverage from 2008 to 2014 were not associated with worse access to care for continuously insured adults, according to a study published in the May issue of Health Affairs.
Postmarket Safety Events for 32 Percent of Novel Therapeutics
WEDNESDAY, May 10, 2017 (HealthDay News) — From 2001 to 2010, 32 percent of novel therapeutics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had a postmarket safety event, according to a study published in the May 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Evidence-Based Medicine Course Beneficial for Critical Thinking
TUESDAY, May 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — An evidence-based medicine (EBM) course has some positive effect on medical student critical thinking (CT), according to a study published online April 27 in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine.
Most Physician Mothers Report Perceived Discrimination
TUESDAY, May 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) — A considerable proportion of physician mothers report perceived discrimination, according to a research letter published online May 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
More Women Than Men Leaving Practice of Medicine
MONDAY, May 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) — More women than men leave the practice of medicine, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Open-Label Placebos Seem to Have Positive Clinical Effect
MONDAY, May 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Compared with no treatment, open-label placebos seem to have a positive clinical effect, according to a review published online April 27 in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine.
Crepitus Tied to Incident Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis
FRIDAY, May 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients who report frequent grating, cracking, or popping sounds in or around the knees may be at higher risk for impending arthritis, according to a study published online May 4 in Arthritis Care & Research.
Symptomatic Hand Osteoarthritis Will Affect 40 Percent of People
FRIDAY, May 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Forty percent of people will be affected by symptomatic osteoarthritis in at least one hand, according to research published online May 4 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Poll: Many Americans Concerned About ACA Repeal
THURSDAY, May 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Only one in five Americans support a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new HealthDay/Harris Poll reveals.
CMS Releases Resources to Help With Payment System
THURSDAY, May 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently added three new online resources to assist physicians already participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and those exploring the opportunities available.
Even Low Level of Physical Activity May Cut Fracture Risk
THURSDAY, May 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Short daily bouts of walking/bicycling and a few weekly exercise sessions are both associated with a lower rate of hip fracture and any fracture, according to a study published online April 29 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
Half of U.S. Doctors Receive Payments From Industry
WEDNESDAY, May 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) — About half of U.S. doctors received payments from the pharmaceutical and medical device industries in 2015, amounting to $2.4 billion, and any form or amount of compensation can influence prescribing behavior, according to research published in the May 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on conflict of interest.
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Weight Loss Can Decelerate Knee Joint Degeneration
TUESDAY, May 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Weight loss of 5 percent or more can significantly lower cartilage degeneration in overweight/obese patients, according to a study published online May 2 in Radiology.
‘Choosing Wisely’ Linked to Small Drop in Back Pain Imaging
MONDAY, May 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — “Choosing Wisely,” launched in April 2012, has contributed to a small reduction in low-value back imaging, according to a study published online April 25 in Health Affairs.
Drug-Impaired Driving Continuing to Rise in the United States
MONDAY, May 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — In fatal vehicle crashes, illicit drugs are now more likely to have played a role than the use of alcohol on its own, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
Cold Application Decreases Fibromyalgia Pain
MONDAY, May 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Local cold applications on the trapezius muscles significantly decreases the pain of patients with fibromyalgia, according to a study published online April 17 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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