This year’s ACR/ARP Annual Meeting covered the breadth of rheumatology. Here’s just a sample of the great education that was available during the meeting that took place in Atlanta.
Miss a session at this year’s Annual Meeting? Take advantage of ACR Beyond On-Demand. In-person Annual Meeting and ACR Beyond LIVE attendees have FREE access to #ACR19 recorded sessions on ACR Beyond On-Demand with their rheumatology.org account login.
Saturday
- Optimal methotrexate dosing continues to change with ongoing research: While methotrexate has long been the most common and most effective first-line therapy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), new and ongoing research continues to shed new light on optimal timing and dosing. Michael Weinblatt, MD, discussed the latest information on methotrexate therapy for RA, as well as combination use with newer biologic therapies, during Saturday’s ACR Review Course. Read more
- Once considered rare, Sjögren’s syndrome remains a challenging diagnosis: Research over the past 20 years has shown that Sjögren’s syndrome is much more common than previously thought. Diagnosing the disorder, however, remains somewhat challenging, according to Frederick Vivino, MD, MS, FACR, who discussed “Pearls and Perils in the Diagnosis and Management of Sjögren’s Syndrome” during Saturday’s ACR Review Course. Read more
- RISE data proving beneficial in improving care, accelerating recruitment for clinical studies: As part of Saturday’s Clinical Research Conference — Big Data: Analytics, EMR, Registries and Beyond, Jinoos Yazdany, MD, MPH, updated attendees about the latest from the ACR’s Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry, which aims to capitalize on electronic health record data to improve patient care. Read more
Sunday
- Year in Review highlights a 2019 filled with advances in research and clinical care: Both presenters at the ACR: Year in Review agreed on Sunday that 2019 was a year where the field of rheumatology exploded both in clinical updates and basic science research as more people enter the field and technology helps harness “big data.” Read more
- Vaccination for patients with rheumatic disease can be beneficial, provided proper safeguards are followed: A session on Sunday, Vaccines & PJP Prophylaxis: Protecting Our Patients, focused on the risks and benefits of vaccinations for common infectious diseases as well as strategies to risk-stratify patients for Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia and recommend appropriate therapy. Read more
- NAFLD becomes a growing concern in rheumatology: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not high on the list of concerns for many rheumatologists, but it should be. NAFLD is approaching epidemic proportions in the United States, and some of the most commonly used rheumatologic agents can cause or contribute to the worsening of liver disease. Read more
Monday
- Draft of new clinical guidelines for GCA, TAK, PAN presented at Annual Meeting: The new guidelines include both “strong” recommendations, which are generally supported by moderate or high-quality evidence, and “conditional” recommendations, which are generally supported by lower-quality evidence. Read more
- Plenary II showcases six of the Annual Meeting’s top abstracts: Showcasing cutting-edge rheumatology research from around the world, six of the top abstracts submitted for this year’s Annual Meeting were presented during Monday’s Plenary II session. Read more
- With some careful consideration, you can do social media like a true medical professional: During Tweets & Trolls: How to Handle Social Media, Jilaine Bolek Berquist, MD, walked the audience through the pluses and pitfalls of social media, sharing tips and guidance on maintaining medical professionalism while also maintaining a Twitter handle and other social media accounts. Read more
Tuesday
- Great Debate examines whether anabolics should be first-line therapy in GIOP: Many guidelines do not recommend anabolic therapy as initial treatment for osteoporosis and GIOP. However, some experts believe that anabolic treatments should be first-line therapy. This year’s Great Debate on Monday afternoon featured two experts in GIOP management who presented their cases for and against the use of anabolics. Read more
- Top rheumatology research showcased at Plenary III session: Showcasing cutting-edge rheumatology research from around the world, six of the top abstracts submitted for this year’s Annual Meeting were presented during Tuesday’s Plenary III session. Read more
- Despite the availability and growing popularity of medical cannabis, more clinical evidence is needed: Patients are turning to cannabis for a variety of uses, especially chronic pain, and report having positive effects from the use. But the clinical evidence available is a “mish-mash of studies,” said Mary-Ann Fitzcharles, MD. Read more