Osteoarthritis

ATLANTA — A vast majority of patients with a cross-section of rheumatic diseases reported that pain, fatigue and mental health issues were those they would like researchers to track, according to a speaker at ACR/ARP 2019.

ATLANTA — Among patients with osteoarthritis, opioids demonstrated only moderate benefit for pain and function, while contributing no notable benefit for quality of life or depression compared with placebo, according to a presentation at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting.

ATLANTA — Health care providers should avoid prescribing transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation or stem cell injections in favor of more comprehensive management — including nonpharmacological interventions such as tai chi — for hip, knee and hand osteoarthritis, according to draft guidelines presented at ACR/ARP 2019.

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.

ATLANTA — Methotrexate significantly reduced the progression of joint damage among patients with erosive hand osteoarthritis, but demonstrated no significant improvement in pain or function over placebo, according to a presentation at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting.

ATLANTA — More than one-third of patients with rheumatic diseases reported using marijuana to relieve pain with minimal guidance from their physicians, according to findings presented at ACR/ARP 2019.

The American College of Rheumatology plans to expand its digital offerings at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual meeting this weekend with more than 50 sessions available for livestreaming, along with a new “TED Talk-style” collection of short lectures set to tackle several “controversial issues facing rheumatologists today,” according to organizers.

SAN DIEGO — Taking a ‘holiday’ from many osteoporosis drugs can frequently negate gains in bone density, according to a presentation at the 2019 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology West.

SAN DIEGO — Reducing use of accepted surgical and pharmacological interventions in favor of diet and exercise may be the way forward in osteoarthritis, according to a presentation at the 2019 Congress of Clinical Rheumatology West.

SAN DIEGO — Acting on modifiable factors such as obesity and joint injury prevention could have a huge impact on osteoarthritis pathogenesis and incidence, according to a presentation at Congress of Clinical Rheumatology West.