Spondyloarthropathies News

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis have lower left ventricular systolic myocardial function, as determined by global longitudinal strain, independent of cardiovascular risk factors, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

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.

When it comes to biologic therapy options, patients with rheumatoid arthritis are generally open to, and express high satisfaction with, IV treatments, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

An international group of researchers proposed a more “refined” definition of autoinflammatory diseases and also proposed changes to the naming convention for these diseases, according to a report in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

The 2018 Rheumatic Disease Report Card: Raising the Grade on Rheumatology Care in America released today by the American College of Rheumatology demonstrates that access to affordable rheumatology care varied considerably from state to state, with most states averaging a “C” grade.

Under Medicare Part D drug benefits, the biosimilar infliximab-dyyb was only 18% less expensive than the infliximab reference product, exceeding $14,000 annually, according to a research letter published in JAMA.

We begin with a 24-year-old previously healthy female presenting with gradual worsening — over the last few months — migraine-like headaches accompanied by nausea but no vomiting. She was in a usual state of health when she started getting headaches, that were described as intermittent with a deep ache sensation. The headaches were unilateral and would switch from left to right and sometimes occur between the eyes. The patient described the severity as 8 out of 10. The headaches did not wake her from sleep, and she was unsure of what triggered them. She denied hearing loss, tinnitus, numbness or tingling of extremities, weakness, joint pain, joint swelling or rashes. She reported no new medications.

Just 32.1% of reproductive-age women with rheumatic diseases use any kind of prescription contraception, while at the same time more than 70% use at least one fetotoxic medication, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Lifestyle factors, such as smoking and obesity, as well as strenuous physical work increase the risk for lower back pain and lumbar radicular pain, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Johns Hopkins Hospital has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals Survey as the top-ranked hospital in the country for rheumatology for the 2018 to 2019 year.