Incidence

Research published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society highlighted significant geographic variation in the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States.

ATLANTA — The incidence of opioid-related hospitalizations among patients with musculoskeletal conditions increased markedly over the past 2 decades, with continued growth among patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, according to a presentation at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting.

SAN DIEGO — Contrary to previous findings, the risk for psoriatic arthritis was persistent among patients with psoriasis and did not wane over time, according to a presentation at the 2019 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology West.

Older adults with multiple myeloma in the United States significantly underused guideline-recommended supportive care measures, and this underutilization appeared linked to both facility and patient factors, according to a study published in Cancer.

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk for cancer in women, a recent analysis of the European Sleep Apnoea Database study suggests.

Contrary to widespread belief that biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis is comparatively rare among black patients, researchers found the condition occurs at a similar rate among black and white patients, according to data published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Among the top stories in hematology/oncology last week were the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force upholding its recommendation against pancreatic cancer screening for asymptomatic adults with no family history of the disease and a report that found individuals aged 85 years and older underwent cancer screening at “unexpectedly high” rates even though it is generally not recommended for this age group.

A patient diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at 18 to 40 years of age carries a greater risk for joint surgery than someone aged 60 years or older in the general population, according to findings published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

Older Japanese adults with type 2 diabetes prescribed to the SGLT2 inhibitor ipragliflozin experienced a decline in HbA1c and body weight over 12 months that was similar to adults younger than 65 years, although researchers observed more serious adverse drug reactions among the older population, according to findings published in Current Medical Research and Opinion.

The top stories in hematology/oncology last week both resulted from FDA actions: Allergan’s agreeing to the agency’s request to recall specific models of its breast implants that may be related to a rare type of lymphoma and the agency granting breakthrough therapy designation to the Keytruda-Lenvima combination for hepatocellular carcinoma.