Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Rheumatology for August 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
FDA Warns of Joint Pain Tied to DPP-4 Inhibitors
MONDAY, Aug. 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors in type 2 diabetes is tied to severe joint pain in some patients, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on Friday.
Multidisciplinary Rehab Tops CBT for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
MONDAY, Aug. 31, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatment (MRT) is more effective for reducing fatigue than cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), according to a study published online Aug. 26 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
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Psychological Features Impact Myofascial Paraspinous Pain Tx
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic myofascial paraspinous pain, psychological characteristics, especially anxiety, influence response to interventional pain management, according to a study published online Aug. 26 in Pain Medicine.
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Takayasu Arteritis, Ulcerative Colitis Co-Occurrence Rate High
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Takayasu arteritis (TAK) has a high rate of co-occurrence and genetic overlap with ulcerative colitis (UC), according to a study published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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AMA: Ruling Makes It Easier for Insurers to Terminate Doctors
FRIDAY, Aug. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The outcome of a recent case regarding the termination of physicians by an insurance company following a dispute over the necessity of medical services provided has serious implications for physicians and their patients, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
FDA Issues Proposal on Lower-Cost, Generic Biotech Drugs
THURSDAY, Aug. 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A proposal for identifying lower-cost generic biotech drugs has been released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Nonlinear Link for LDL, HDL With MACE Similar in RA, Non-RA
THURSDAY, Aug. 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The nonlinear relationships for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) seen in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients do not differ from those in non-RA controls, according to a study published in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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Psoriasis Patients at Higher Risk for Arrhythmia
THURSDAY, Aug. 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with psoriasis are at higher risk of developing arrhythmia, even after controlling for other risk factors, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Too Few Blacks, Hispanics Pursuing Careers As Physicians
TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Too few members of certain minority groups are pursuing careers in U.S. medicine, resulting in a serious lack of diversity among general practitioners and specialists, according to a research letter published online Aug. 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Weekly Leflunomide Effective for Early Rheumatoid Arthritis
MONDAY, Aug. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A higher, weekly dose of leflunomide shows similar benefits to a daily dose for the treatment of mild-to-moderate early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA), according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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Low Vitamin D Tied to Dry Eye Syndromes
FRIDAY, Aug. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with vitamin D deficiency should be evaluated for dry eye syndromes, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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Patient, Family Advisors Can Play Key Role in Practices
FRIDAY, Aug. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Practices can employ patient and family advisors in order to help them focus on patient-centered care needs, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Report Highlights Ways to Improve Physician Resilience
THURSDAY, Aug. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Strategies can be adopted for improving physician resilience and the ability to handle the challenges presented by patient care, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Oral Contraceptive Use May Moderate Inflammatory Arthritis
THURSDAY, Aug. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Oral contraceptive (OC) exposure is associated with better patient-reported outcomes in early inflammatory arthritis, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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More Physicians Reporting Dissatisfaction With EHR Systems
THURSDAY, Aug. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More physicians report being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their electronic health record (EHR) system, compared with five years ago, according to a report published by the AmericanEHR Partners and the American Medical Association.
HAC Reduction Program Penalty Kicks in for FY2015
TUESDAY, Aug. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The latest Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) effort to reduce hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) is the HAC Reduction Program, according to an Aug. 6 health policy brief published in Health Affairs.
In-Person Staff Meetings Are Valuable for Health Care Teams
MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In-person staff meetings, which are not too short or too long and are held frequently, are valuable for health care team operation, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Many Hospitals Being Penalized for 30-Day Readmissions
FRIDAY, Aug. 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About half of the nation’s hospitals are being penalized by Medicare for having patients return within a month of discharge, losing a combined $420 million, according to a report published by Kaiser Health.
Review: mHealth Text Messages Promote Medication Adherence
MONDAY, Aug. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Mobile health (mHealth) short message service text messages can improve medication adherence, according to a review published online July 27 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
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