Rheumatology

Clinical study findings of recent years support the notion that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) should be treated earlier and more aggressively. Monotherapy with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) is effective in some cases, but triple DMARD therapy is superior to double therapy or monotherapy in early or late RA. Leflunomide is at least as effective as methotrexate (MTX) and sulfasalazine and more effective than placebo.

I was out of town on business and had a 'slip & fall.' After many tries and many hours on the phone, Oxford could not direct us to a plan orthopedist—hand surgeon? Yes; Foot and ankle? Didn't happen. Ironically (or was it?), that bureaucratic hurdle saved them a bundle.

Researchers have concluded that evidence from their study showed “aerobic capacity training combined with muscle strength training is recommended as routine practice in patients with RA.”

At a healthcare forum hosted by Politics magazine, current and former members of Congress said they believed President Obama would sign some sort of a healthcare reform package, most likely later this year. “There would be too much political damage done if something doesn’t pass, so Congress will find a way,” said Congressman Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX).

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) was a major cause of morbidity and mortality in past decades, but with the passage of time and medical advances, it faded from the forefront of clinical medicine and, in turn, from physicians' minds. However, a resurgence of ARF has been reported in the United States and the condition remains a significant health concern in the developing world.

A disruption in any part of the vitamin D physiological pathway can result in vitamin D deficiency, which may lead to bone pain, muscle weakness, falls, low bone mass, and fractures.

A pleomorphic hyalinizing angiectatic tumor (PHAT) is a rare soft tissue lesion that mainly affects superficial soft tissue in the lower extremities. PHAT is classified as a borderline/intermediate-grade soft tissue tumor because of the substantial risk of local recurrence.

A pay-for-performance (P4P) scheme based on meeting targets for the quality of clinical care introduced to family practice in England in 2004 accelerated improvements in quality for 2 of 3 chronic conditions in the short term. However, the initial acceleration in improvement was not sustained.

MRI may be used to monitor rotator cuff changes and guide management in long-term follow-up of patients with tears who are treated nonoperatively. Factors associated with tear progression include age older than 60 years, a full-thickness tear, and fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff muscles.

Adherence to healthy lifestyle factors is associated with a lower lifetime risk of heart failure in apparently healthy men compared with the general population. The lifetime risk is higher in men who have hypertension than in those who do not.

The severity scores of dyspepsia symptoms and dyspepsia-related quality of life disturbance are higher in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) than in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in healthy persons.

Sustained disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-free remission occurs in about 10% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It can be predicted by several clinical variables that are assessed routinely in outpatient clinics.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are being used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) more aggressively and at a lower level of disease activity than in the past. Their use is greater in patients with established RA than in those with early RA.

The inter-rater reliability for 3 basic maneuvers of the Total Body Functional Profile is good among musculoskeletal health care providers of various disciplines

Reduced toe flexor strength and the presence of toe deformities increase the risk of falling in older persons, according to researchers at the Biomechanics Research Laboratory, University of Wollongong, in Australia

Persons who have patellofemoral pain (PFP) exhibit higher peak levels of patellofemoral stress than those who do not, according to work conducted at the University of Southern California's Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Research Laboratory (MBRL), and a long-term history of PFP in older adults yields a higher probability that patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA) will occur.

An 81-year-old man with had a one-year history of right knee pain that had worsened in recent weeks despite no trauma or injury. What does the X-ray show?

New evidence-based musculoskeletal disease prevention and treatment guidelines for general practitioners have been issued by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and osteoarthritis guidelines have been released, and osteoporosis guidelines were expected to be available soon.

Researchers have discovered a new way to use the role of signaling molecules to inhibit another complex that plays a key role in the ‘turning on’ of genes “that cause the stem cell precursors of osteoclasts to mature and start eating bone,” a discovery that may lead to the formation of new rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis drugs.

I say we should let those who are screaming against the health insurance reform bills because they're "Socialist" opt out - not just from the bills, but also from ALL of "Socialism."

A 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.

According to an article in the online news organization Huffington Post, physicians are increasingly bringing their views on healthcare reform into the examination room.

Even though many believe that everything possible was being done to help them and that they were given the most appropriate treatment, few patients believe thier medicines strong enough to provide relief.

Psychosocial 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.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has released new guidelines for testing patients with suspected rheumatoid arthritis when more standardized tests have not conclusive.

Behçet syndrome is a multisystem disease characterized by variable clinical manifestations. The diagnosis is based on recognition of a group of clinical features.

An 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.

Three-dimensional (3D) computer motion analysis has emerged in recent years as a valuable diagnostic tool for elite athletes and coaches to combat injuries and maximize biomechanical function to improve athletic performance.

Check out these rheumatoid arthritis-related online resources.

To reduce injury risk and enhance their performance, baseball pitchers need to learn proper fastball mechanics at an early age