Polymyositis News

Faced with an increasing incidence and prevalence of autoimmune disease in the United States —approximately 23.5 million Americans are affected across the country, according to the NIH — Bonnie Feldman, MBA, DDS, says it is time to acknowledge what she calls “an invisible epidemic.”

During an interview on CBS Saturday Morning on Feb. 23, musician Peter Frampton revealed that he had been diagnosed with inclusion-body myositis, and announced the creation of the Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund at the Johns Hopkins Myositis Center.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Although the role of type I interferon has been well-established for systemic lupus erythematosus, a type I interferon signature can be also seen in dermatomyositis, which emphasizes the importance of interferon in skin disease and opens new possibilities for therapeutic applications, according to a presentation here.

Splashy headlines in the mainstream media that proclaim advances in medicine are often not what they seem. That may be the case with a recent series of FDA approvals surrounding the direct-to-consumer genetic testing platform, 23andMe.

Among patients with juvenile dermatomyositis, calcinosis was associated with longer active disease duration, disease severity and clinical features such as lipodystrophy and joint contractures, according to data published in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Juvenile dermatomyositis increases patients’ hospital stays and inpatient cost of care, particularly among Hispanic and other non-white populations, according to data published in Pediatric Rheumatology.

Researchers found that the most prevalent adverse effect linked to immune checkpoint inhibitors was inflammatory arthritis, and although most patients received long courses of immune suppression, few required checkpoint inhibitor discontinuation, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

I always look forward to the ACR yearly review course for an engaging way to get updates on various topics in the field of rheumatology. It’s also a way to reminisce what it’s like to be a high primary school student again and makes you wonder how you were ever able to sit in the same seat all day long, day after day!

CHICAGO — Rheumatologists, as well as the rheumatology specialty as a whole, must become more aware of, and develop treatments and guidelines for, the problem of rheumatologic side effects related to checkpoint inhibitor therapy, according to Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH, of the University of Pennsylvania.

The use of wearable devices that track movement is effective in significantly increasing the amount of and time spent performing moderate to vigorous physical activity, with high short-term adherence, among patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.