Curated News: Medical Meetings

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New research study finds that children ages 1 to 3 years account for one-fifth of all emergency department visits caused by complications from asthma, representing the highest proportion of visits among asthma patients under age 21. In addition, 55 percent of all ED visits due to asthma occur in boys, and fall months – September, October and November – have a relatively high proportion of visits compared to other times of the year. The research was presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference in Orlando. At AAP, the same research team also presented an analysis of adverse drug events (ADE) among hospitalized children in the U.S. from 2003 to 2010. Results reveal that medication errors and ADEs in pediatric inpatient settings gradually increased between 2003 and 2010, although the cause for this increase requires further study.

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Two subtypes of human papillomavirus (HPV) prevented by vaccines are half as likely to be found in African-American women as in white women with precancerous cervical lesions, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.

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Nanotechnologies are growing in commercial use after more than 20 years of research. This new resource gives the public the best available look at more than 1,600 manufacturer-identified, nanotechnology-based consumer products introduced to the market.

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A survey among rheumatologists finds many face moral dilemmas when trying to do what’s best for their patients in the current health care environment.

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Urate-lowering therapy alone may not directly reduce the risk of kidney disease in those with hyperuricemia. However, according to a study presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego, working to lower serum uric acid based on the 2012 American College of Rheumatology Guidelines for Management of Gout has a positive effect.

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Smoking can increase the effect of inflammation on X-ray damage in people with ankylosing spondylitis by as much as five times. And, the increase is as much as 13 times higher in men with the disease who smoke than women who don’t smoke, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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The number of children and young adults with autoimmune diseases receiving the HPV vaccination is profoundly low despite studies showing the vaccine to be safe and effective, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego. Given the increased incidence of HPV in people with autoimmune diseases, this research suggests that increased public health efforts are needed.

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Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors commonly used to control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes may also reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases in these patients, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Rheumatoid arthritis patients who use tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (called Anti-TNFs) to control their disease-related inflammation also have a decreased risk for heart attacks, according to research findings presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Treating rheumatoid arthritis patients with intensive pharmacological agents, such as biologic drugs, may reduce the need for orthopedic joint surgery, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Tumor necrosis factor inhibitor drugs (commonly called Anti-TNFs) modestly reduce the risk of acute coronary syndrome, such as heart attacks and angina, in rheumatoid arthritis patients whose inflammation places them at higher risk of developing coronary heart disease, according to new research findings presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Patients with rheumatoid arthritis may not need to halt use of their antirheumatic drugs prior to surgery due to fears of increased infection risk, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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People with psoriatic arthritis who receive early, aggressive pharmacologic intervention following a treat-to-target approach show better outcomes than those who receive standard care, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Use of a patellofemoral knee brace can improve pain symptoms and bone marrow lesions in patients with a type of osteoarthritis of the knee, according to new research findings presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Osteoarthritis patients who engage in regular physical activity have higher Quality- Adjusted Life Years, a standard measurement of quality of life and cost-effectiveness of medical treatment, according to new research findings presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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A self-directed walking program shows promise in easing joint stiffness in older women who experienced these symptoms while taking aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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New research presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego describes an exciting novel tool utilizing telephone linked technology that shows potential as a low cost approach to improving exercise adherence in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The telephone- linked technology acts as an automated physical trainer and behavior therapist to improve adherence to a strengthening protocol for knee osteoarthritis.

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Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who receive early, aggressive therapy with a combination of medications achieve clinical inactive disease status faster than they would with less aggressive therapy, according to new research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Starting with a combination of three traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (called DMARDs) for treating early rheumatoid arthritis is more cost-effective long term, with comparable benefits, than using either an immediate or step-up approach with anti-tumor necrosis factor (called Anti-TNFs) drugs and methotrexate, according to new research findings presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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Using a combination of three traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for treating recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis is more efficient than a monotherapy approach using methotrexate, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego.