Rheumatology

(VIDEO) Once you've decided that an opioid analgesic is indicated, what can you do to assure that your patient uses the medication safely?

Close to 70% of women who responded thought that the disease can be prevented, but only 50% recognized exercise as a method of osteoporosis prevention.

The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for US adults who have arthritis is much worse than for those who do not, according to a recent study. Both physical and mental health are affected, posing a significant health and economic burden as the number of diagnoses continues to increase.

A combination of weight loss and exercise provides greater benefit than either intervention alone.

Fracture risk in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) undergoing a total hip replacement (THR) procedure increases by 25% at 2.5 to 5 years postsurgery. Bisphosphonate use reduces fracture risk in patients in whom there was no fracture before surgery and in those who had a previous osteoporotic fracture and received the treatment in secondary prevention.

Inflammation early in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease course is associated with 2 measures of arterial stiffness, increased pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx), after 15 years. Early, active disease management to control inflammation in patients with RA may help reduce the risk of later cardiovascular (CV) disease.

A new treatment for a disabling hand condition-Dupuytren disease, or Dupuytren contracture-can restore a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks, according to Hands: Strategies for Strong, Pain-Free Hands, a new edition of the Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. The report describes the causes of and treatments for a variety of conditions that can cause hand pain and features information on hand exercises.

The presence of isolated synovial thickening in B-mode ultrasonography (US) or isolated bone erosion in US is not sufficient to confirm the diagnosis of early inflammatory arthritis. However, the presence of more than 1 case of joint synovitis or bone erosion is a strong argument for the diagnosis.

Disability worsens over time in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Diffuse disease and severity of breathing problems are the strongest determinants of disability; others include joint pain and contractures, fatigue, and depression

Among patients receiving prescriptions for opioid analgesics for pain, higher doses are associated with an increased risk of overdose death. However, the increased risk of opioid overdose is not statistically significant in patients who are treated with as-needed and regularly scheduled opioids simultaneously.

Hybrid score may provide clearer picture of treatment effect on disease activity in trials of rheumatoid arthritis drugs.

RAPID-2 results show that certolizumab pegol plus methotrexate improves pain, physical function, and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones lose their content of minerals, particularly calcium. When this occurs, the bones become weakened an prone to fracture. Common sites of fracture include the spine, hip, ribs, and wrist.

Survey from National Fibromyalgia Association and American Pain Foundation released on reveals impact of fibromyalgia on patients' quality of life.

Doubts that bisphosphonates can be the cause of fractures have been confirmed.

Researchers are on the way to developing a new test that could resolve a number of question marks surrounding SLE.

Sonography with power Doppler can facilitate making assessments in joint activity and sub-clinical disease.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is derived from autologous blood and prepared so that the platelet concentration is above baseline value. Platelets contain growth factors necessary for tissue healing.

Cymbalta was approved in August 2010 to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain, but does it work?

The therapeutic options for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have expanded rapidly and improved patients’ pain, function, and quality of life. However, many patients do not respond to the current disease-modifying medications or cannot take them. Oral methotrexate is the leading disease-modifying antirheumatic drug used in PsA.

Drug-induced rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome may be triggered by numerous chemically unrelated medications. Allopurinol-induced DRESS (A-DRESS) syndrome carries the highest mortality risk.

Clinical guidelines for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) recently released by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) focus on the initiation and safety monitoring of treatment with multiple medications.

The lifetime risk of inflammatory autoimmune rheumatologic disease is substantial-1 in 12 for women and 1 in 20 for men, and the lifetime risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-1 in 28 for women and 1 in 59 for men-is higher than previously thought.

Patient Guide for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Patients who follow a home exercise program after a hip fracture are more likely to remain active than those who receive usual care.

The prevalence of Lyme arthritis is high in pediatric patients who present with joint effusions in an area of the Northeastern United States in which the disease is endemic, and the disease is more common than septic arthritis.

Fewer than half of the overweight patients and fewer than two-thirds of the obese patients in this study had been told by their physician that they were overweight.

Treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with both immunosuppressive agents and prednisone is given to patients who have the most active disease, but the presence of cumulative damage also may predict use of these agents, particularly early in the disease course.

Sjogren syndrome affects up to 4 million Americans. There is no cure, but the symptoms-mainly dry eyes and dry mouth-can be relieved.

A new test shows promise for detecting the early stages of a major cause of failure in joint replacement implants.