Rheumatology

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Workplaces and managers who may or may not have just grown acquainted with — and successfully integrated — their millennial employees will soon be greeting an entirely new generation, complete with their own priorities and values, according to Lynne Lancaster, BA, of Lynne Lancaster Consulting.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who achieve low disease activity with tofacitinib plus methotrexate can safely withdraw methotrexate without fear of worsening disease activity, according to findings published in The Lancet Rheumatology.

Although depression and stress are both predictors of fatigue among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus at 1 year, stress is the “primary driver,” and reductions in stress are associated with a clinically meaningful decrease in fatigue, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

The American College of Rheumatology has joined 369 other patient, physician and health care professional groups in calling on Congress to pass a bipartisan bill that would amend the Social Security Act to regulate the use of prior authorization for patients with Medicare Advantage plans.

Adalimumab, with or without methotrexate, is well-tolerated over a period of at least 7 years among most children with polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to data published Arthritis Care & Research.

HILTON HEAD, S.C. — Fine print, or “boiler plate” provisions, at the end of a contract can often include critical details that should never be overlooked when finalizing agreements, according to John Michael Durnovich, JD, of Poyner Spruill, in North Carolina.

In a landmark FDA approval, AbbVie’s upadacitinib has won the race to enter the drug market as the third JAK inhibitor approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, with the drug expected to be available in the United States within the month.

ORLANDO — Although proper vaccination is crucial for all patients with rheumatic diseases, rheumatology nurses who work with children often contend with parental concerns regarding vaccines and must know how best to approach vaccine hesitancy and debunk vaccination myths, according to a presentation at the Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference.

More than 300 registered attendees are expected in Hilton Head, South Carolina, this week for the sixth annual Association of Women in Rheumatology (AWIR) meeting.

ORLANDO — Treatment of pediatric patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis with medications available to their adult counterparts is often blocked by exclusions in insurance policies and outdated step therapy requirements, according to a presentation at the Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference.