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The ACR publishes new guidelines for treating polymyalgia rheumatica
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In addition to the introduction of new guidelines for diagnosing gout, the American College of Rheumatology has released a publication with treatment guidelines and recommendations for patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.
The new criteria for the screening and treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) was developed in collaboration between the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and includes nine PMR disease management recommendations.
“These recommendations will inform primary, secondary and tertiary care physicians about an international consensus on the management of PMR,” Eric Matteson, MD, chair of rheumatology at the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic and co-primary investigator for the new recommendations, said in the press release. “They provide current evidence and thinking in the field of PMR management with a particular emphasis on patients’ perspectives.”
The recommendations were developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system, and the first six recommendations are related to the use of glucocorticoids. An advisory to prescribe glucocorticoids over NSAIDs using the minimum effective duration of treatment is included and ACR recommendations are provided regarding dosage, delivery method and tapering strategies and other considerations related to the use of glucocorticoid therapy.
Other recommendations include: the introduction of methotrexate to patients with certain comorbidities and risk factors, consideration of an exercise program suited for individual patients to increase function and reduce the risk for falls and an advisory against the use of certain herbal preparations.
Reference: www.rheumatology.org.