He was vilified constantly over the course of his career. He was defeated more than once, only to come back victorious more than once. Political pundits called him "washed up" several times over the half-century he was in the public eye. Democrats to this day have a visceral reaction when they hear his name. But he is back. ... Read more
When Cox-2 inhibitors first came on the market there was almost euphoria: Finally, those patients with chronic pain and in need of anti-inflammatory medication have a safer alternative to the "old" anti-inflammatory drugs such as Motrin and Naprosyn-drugs which carried with them an increased risk of hospitalization and even death due... Read more
The American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston last week provided more good data on the new-and investigational--rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra, an IL-6 inhibitor. Studies of Actemra found that about 60% of the patients taking that drug with a traditional disease modifying drug achieved a 20% reduction in... Read more
My last blog discussed the Rheumatoid Factor, its significance, and perhaps its insignificance. The bottom line, however, is that rheumatologists are on a seemingly never-ending quest to find ways to predict who among our patients will have a worse outcome, and therefore are perhaps deserving of being treated aggressively even before their... Read more
Rheumatoid factors are antibodies that attach to other antibodies. This may be associated with inflammation. It is a test used to help in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. However, there are many other conditions associated with a positive rheumatoid factor. These conditions include Sjogren's syndrome, viral illnesses (including... Read more
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