This was the first project I got involved during residency, thanks to the great @rheumcat.bsky.social and Dr. Rachael Stovall. I received outstanding mentorship from amazing researchers and rheumatologists from France and the U.S. #WomenInScience
Clinically, this is reassuring. Younger adults who have not had symptoms of axSpA for a long time can be counseled on the long term risks of taking higher, anti-inflammatory doses of NSAIDs. For many patients, this is a good option without needing to go on biologics.
Publication alert! 🚨
Does higher NSAID use increase the risk of incident hypertension in younger patients with newly diagnosed axSpA?
Short answer: No. At least on the first 10 years of the disease course.
kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...
The success rate of “idk try an inotrope” has to be sub 5%*
*even for intermediate physiologic outcomes
I am extremely grateful with @rheumcat.bsky.social for offering her time and mentorship with this project even before I started residency! It is a great clinical question with many implications and I learned many research skills from this!
I asked ChatGPT to do a cartoon of my work based on everything it knows about me… the more you look at it, the more accurate it is!
Beta-blockers (BB) continue to lose terrain in different specific clinical scenarios. Sounds like this old question is finally answered…
Use of BB after MI with normal EF:
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
Thank you for all your mentorship and support throughout!!! You are an amazing mentor and person!
My research mentee matched to Mayo Clinic Pulm Crit!!
Sooo happy for @josemeade.bsky.social, congrats!!
#Fellowship #Match #MatchDay
📣 Calling all MD & DO students (including MD/PhD, DO/PhD, MD/MPH, DO/MPH)!
Apply for the Rheumatology Future Physician Scientist Award, supporting research training for future physician-scientists in rheumatology.
🗓️ Applications due Dec 1, 2025 by 5 PM ET rheumresearch.org/preceptorships#RFPS
Jen Barton and Jean Liew in front of the former’s research poster at ACR25
My first rheum research mentor who got me to my first ACR in 2016: Dr Jen Barton
#ACR25
Abstract 1604: anti-rituximab antibodies as a cause of treatment failure in ANCA & cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. #ACR25
Malignancy association with Ro52 positivity. #ACR25
Dr. Martha Delgado gave a great #ACR25 presentation focused on improving patient participation in clinical trials in Latino communities. She shared barriers for both patients & providers as well current efforts to remove barriers.
cc: @ladaorg.bsky.social #LADAorg @lupuschat.bsky.social #LupusChat
A "methods primer" article in the journal "BMJ Medicine", titled "Factors associated with: problems of using exploratory multivariable regression to identify causal risk factors"
We wrote an article explaining why you shouldn't put several variables into a regression model and report which are statistically significant - even as exploratory research. bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/4/1/.... How did we do?
Today, in collaboration with @BUMedicine Emergency Medicine, we shared some basic POCUS skills to our second-year medical students. Let’s keep integrating POCUS into medical school curricula!
This October I’m drawing 1 molecule a day inspired by proteins in pdb @rcsbpdb.bsky.social
Day 13
Prompt DRINK
Pdb: 7BTW
A pair of mitochondrial outer membrane β-barrel SAM complexes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the yeast used to make beer.
Cheers!
Next: TRUNK
Suggestions?
6️⃣ The big picture
Early TNFi ≠ less opioid use.
Future work should include pain scores, disease activity, and social factors to fully understand pain and opioid trajectories in axSpA.
#Rheumatology #axSpA #Opioids #TNFi #Pharmacoepidemiology
5️⃣ Why it matters
💡 Chronic opioid use is still common (~21%) in axSpA
💥 Biologic therapy alone may not solve the opioid problem
🧠 Need multimodal, holistic pain strategies
4️⃣ Takeaway
❌ Early TNFi use did not reduce opioid use.
📈 In opioid-naïve patients, it was linked to higher chronic use.
Likely due to confounding by indication — patients with worse disease start TNFi earlier and need more pain control.
3️⃣ Results
8,508 matched individuals (mean age 42, 50% women).
💊 Chronic opioid use in 20.9% overall.
⚠️ Early TNFi = higher risk (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06–1.28).
Opioid-naïve: HR 1.96 🚨
Opioid-experienced: NS
2️⃣ Methods
🧾 MarketScan® claims data (US)
👥 Adults 18–65 with new axSpA
⚕️ “Early TNFi” = started ≤6 months after diagnosis
📊 Propensity score–matched 1:1
💊 Outcome: chronic opioid use ≥90 days
1️⃣ Background
Opioid use remains high in axSpA — even with effective biologics like TNFi.
We asked: could starting TNFi early lower the risk of chronic opioid use?
🧵 New study alert!
💊 Does early TNF inhibitor (TNFi) therapy reduce chronic opioid use in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA)?
👉 We looked at real-world US data to find out.
📄 Arthritis Care & Research, 2025
🔗 acrjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
@rheumcat.bsky.social
Proud mentor of Dr. Jose Meade-Aguilar (BU/BMC internal medicine resident)
#ACR24
Thanks for the head's up @restovall.bsky.social!
Our mentee Jose Meade-Aguilar's work is cited from #ACR24 here: www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/key-...
ACR Journals on Air podcast banner
NEW EPISODE! Alain Sanchez-Rodriguez, MD, joins the podcast to discuss delays in #lupus diagnosis & care based on findings from the Lupus Midwest Network (LUMEN)
🎙️Listen → https://acr.tw/3UWKCXi
#Medsky
Wait you also moved! @rheumcat.bsky.social
They moved :(
