Rheumatology News International RSS feed: Current Issue. http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Rheumatology News International1876-114372March 2012 © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700113/abstract?rss=yesUnexplained shoulder pain and abnormal ultrasound findings of those large joints are part of provisional criteria published on polymyalgia rheumatica. To merit the diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) under the criteria proposed jointly by the American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism, patients should be at least 50 years old and have morning stiffness lasting at least 45 minutes, new hip pain, and elevated C-reactive protein and/or erythrocyte sedimentation rate.PMR Guidelines Spell Out Role Of Ultrasound: Imaging is most useful in shoulder.SHARON WORCESTER10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70011-3Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News11http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700125/abstract?rss=yesWithin 18 months of its launch, almost 2,000 people were enrolled in an international online registry for rare autoinflammatory diseases designed to facilitate research and treatment, as well as increase awareness of the conditions.Eurofever Register Has Netted New MutationsM. ALEXANDER OTTO10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70012-5Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News12http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700137/abstract?rss=yesMen taking long-acting formulations of the pain killers were five times more likely to have low testosterone levels than were men who took immediate-release formulations. Long-Acting Opioids Tied to Hypogonadism10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70013-7Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News11http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700149/abstract?rss=yesRheumatoid arthritis patients had a 40% increased risk of atrial fibrillation and a 30% increased risk of stroke compared with the general population, based on data from a national cohort study in Denmark.RA May Increase Atrial Fibrillation Risk by 40%HEIDI SPLETE10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70014-9Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News22http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700150/abstract?rss=yesWomen with both hypothyroidism and inflammatory arthritis have a nearly fourfold greater risk of developing heart disease, compared with controls. The finding adds to “sparse” data on the long-hypothesized association between hypothyroidism and inflammatory arthritis, and also “emphasizes the need for cardiovascular risk management in this case,” according to Dr. Hennie G. Raterman of the department of rheumatology at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam and colleagues. The investigators looked at more than 175,000 patients from the Netherlands Information Network of General Practice, retrieved from the electronic medical records of a representative sample of 69 general practices with 360,000 registered patients in 2006 (Ann. Rheum. Dis. 2012 [doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2011-200836]).Arthritis Plus Hypothyroidism Ups CVD RiskDENISE NAPOLI10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70015-0Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News44http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700162/abstract?rss=yesThe American College of Rheumatology's latest recommendations on treatment of osteoarthritis place new emphasis on early use of nonpharmacologic therapies, such as tai chi and acupuncture and advise against use of glucosamine/chondroitin.Osteoarthritis Guidelines Address Benefits of ExerciseMIRIAM E. TUCKER10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70016-2Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News44http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700174/abstract?rss=yes Major Finding: Tests found low testosterone levels in 74% of men on long-acting or sustained-release opioids, compared with 34% of men on equipotent short-acting or immediate-release opioids.Long-Acting Opioids May Trigger HypogonadismSHERRY BOSCHERT10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70017-4Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News66http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700186/abstract?rss=yesSNOWMASS, COLO. – One of the most interesting questions in all of rheumatology is this: Where does rheumatoid arthritis hang out in the body preclinically during the years following autoantibody formation but before symptomatic joint involvement?Lung Abnormalities May Represent Preclinical RABRUCE JANCIN10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70018-6Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News66http://www.rheumatologynewsint.eu/article/PIIS1876114312700198/abstract?rss=yes Major Finding: Joint reconstructive procedures were significantly associated with mortality (HR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.8–3.9; P less than .001), whereas incidence rates for any joint surgery continue to decline.Joint Surgery Growing Less Common in RA PatientsBECKY McCALL10.1016/S1876-1143(12)70019-8Rheumatology News International 7, 2 (2012)2012-03-01Rheumatology News International2012-03-0172S1876-1143(12)X7002-2News77