Samantha C. Shapiro

1 month ago | the-rheumatologist.org | Bharat Kumar |Ruth Jessen Hickman |Samantha C. Shapiro

My children were playing in the car the other day and pulled open the glove box. Inside, they found a brown paper bag with my last name “KUMAR” in black Sharpie and a red sticker that read, “Do not lose. No replacements available.” It wasn’t long before the kids tore that bag apart to find…Fellows and masters, members at different stages in their careers, are both important to rheumatology.

Jan 9, 2025 | the-rheumatologist.org | Samantha C. Shapiro

Recently, I met a 60-year-old man with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who described himself as “an old country boy.” He was diagnosed with RA 10 years ago. Triple therapy (i.e., methotrexate, sulfasalazine and hydroxychloroquine in combination) and adalimumab failed to help him, but in 2018, he found etanercept. This drug was a game changer for him, improving his symptoms by 90–95%. His insurance “covered” the drug, but the out-of-pocket cost remained enormous.

Dec 5, 2024 | the-rheumatologist.org | Samantha C. Shapiro

WASHINGTON, D.C.—For the first time in U.S. history, older adults are projected to outnumber children by 2034, and their care poses unique challenges to the rheumatologist.1 Normal physiologic changes of aging include but aren’t limited to falling renal function, changes in pharmacokinetics and bone density loss.

Dec 5, 2024 | the-rheumatologist.org | Samantha C. Shapiro

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Behçet’s disease (BD) is not a common condition, but we frequently see referrals for such in rheumatology clinic because a patient has oral or genital ulcers. So what’s Behçet’s and what’s not? How can we tell the difference? At the ACR Convergence 2024 Review Course, Johannes Nowatzky, MD, director, New York University Langone Behçet’s Disease & Ocular Rheumatology Programs, Saul J.

Dec 3, 2024 | the-rheumatologist.org | Samantha C. Shapiro

WASHINGTON, D.C.—At ACR Convergence 2024, Christina Charles-Schoeman, MD, MS, professor of medicine and chief, Division of Rheumatology, University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, Santa Monica, Calif., gave a practical talk on the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the setting of cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the leading cause of death in people with RA.