VEXAS Syndrome: What You Need to Know
ACR on Air
Today, we discuss a from the American College of Rheumatology aimed at bringing much-needed structure to the evaluation and management of patients with VEXAS. This episode breaks down key recommendations, including who should be tested, the best approaches to diagnostic evaluation, how to interpret bone marrow findings, and emerging strategies for treatment—offering clarity in a diagnosis that, until recently, was marked by uncertainty.
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Support for Private Practice
ACR on Air
Private rheumatology practice is contracting under multi-directional pressure: shrinking margins, escalating prior authorizations, tightening Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) and payer restrictions on drug access, and instability across core revenue streams. At the same time, demand is rising, wait times are surging, and workforce shortages are intensifying—driving clinician burnout and retention challenges. This episode is about The American College of Rheumatology’s response, in expanding its leadership role in advocacy, health policy reform, and workforce development...
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Pericardial Diseases in Rheumatology & Beyond
ACR on Air
Pericardial Disease is couched between two medical disciplines: Cardiology and Rheumatology, and those with these conditions visit medical professionals viewing their treatment through one lens or the other. This episode addresses the shifting reality that pericarditis and myocarditis are no longer separate silos but rather takes the broader view of inflammatory heart disease. We’ll examine how rheumatologists should be thinking about pericardial disease, when we should get involved, how diagnosis and imaging fit in, plus the evolution of...
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Current and Evolving Treatments for Myositis
ACR on Air
For years, myositis treatment has relied on broad immune suppression with drugs like steroids, methotrexate, and rituximab—but what if we could target the disease more precisely? Inflammatory myopathies are not a single condition, but a group of biologically distinct syndromes with different clinical features and immune pathways. As our understanding evolves, so does the potential for more personalized, targeted therapies. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Julie J. Paik to discuss how this shift could reshape the future of myositis treatment.
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Strategies for Workforce Retention
ACR on Air
In this episode, we discuss the growing workforce challenges in rheumatology with nurse practitioner Chris Estes. Chris shares how he entered the field, the training he received early in his career, and how he developed expertise in musculoskeletal ultrasound. The conversation explores how advanced practice providers (APPs) can help address rheumatology workforce shortages by expanding access to care—seeing new patients, managing follow-ups, and working both collaboratively and independently within a practice. Chris also discusses training pathways for new APPs, common...
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The Next Era of Gout Therapy
ACR on Air
In this episode, we explore the paradox of gout—one of the most biologically understood and treatable diseases in medicine, yet still among the most poorly controlled chronic conditions in practice. With effective therapies readily available, why do patients continue to cycle through painful flares, start and stop medications, and return to clinics and hospitals in a pattern that feels like a recurring failure? We unpack the complex interplay between biology, patient behavior, medication adherence, and health system barriers, asking whether the problem lies in the disease itself or...
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Precision Rheumatology, APS and You
ACR on Air
In this episode, we explore Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) with Dr. Yu (Ray) Zuo, beginning with a clear, clinically grounded explanation before diving into the personal and scientific journey that drew him to this notoriously complex disease. Along the way, Dr. Zuo shares a case that forever changed how he understands APS, then takes us inside his latest Arthritis & Rheumatology study, where machine learning reveals hidden patterns that may reshape how we think about patients and risk. The conversation moves from bedside to bench and back again, tackling what AI...
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The Year Ahead for The ACR with Dr. Will Harvey
ACR on Air
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. William Harvey, the newly appointed President of the American College of Rheumatology and a dedicated volunteer of nearly 20 years. Dr. Harvey shares what it’s like stepping into the presidency, the key priorities shaping the year ahead, and how the ACR is approaching strategy, advocacy, partnerships, and leadership during this pivotal moment for the field.
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The Evaluation and Management of Osteoporosis
ACR on Air
In this episode, our expert guest challenges a common assumption by explaining why the T-score—despite being central to osteoporosis diagnosis—is surprisingly easy to misinterpret. He walks us through how to read a DEXA scan like a detective, highlighting subtle clues that can dramatically improve diagnostic accuracy for your patients. Once osteoporosis is identified, the conversation turns to clinical decision-making: how to choose between anabolic agents, denosumab, and bisphosphonates, and why that choice depends on thoughtful risk stratification and patient-specific comorbidities. We...
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Degos Disease
ACR on Air
In this episode, we explore malignant atrophic papulosis—also known as Degos disease—an extraordinarily rare microvascular disorder so uncommon that most clinicians will never see a single case. For decades, medical literature labeled it “uniformly fatal.” Our guest, Dr. Lee Shapiro, encountered this reality when he began treating a rapidly deteriorating 16-year-old boy with no clear treatment path. Driven by urgency, he reached out to experts across the country, slowly piecing together clues that ultimately led to the first successful treatment of systemic Degos disease. Today, Dr....
info_outlineIn this episode, our expert guest challenges a common assumption by explaining why the T-score—despite being central to osteoporosis diagnosis—is surprisingly easy to misinterpret. He walks us through how to read a DEXA scan like a detective, highlighting subtle clues that can dramatically improve diagnostic accuracy for your patients. Once osteoporosis is identified, the conversation turns to clinical decision-making: how to choose between anabolic agents, denosumab, and bisphosphonates, and why that choice depends on thoughtful risk stratification and patient-specific comorbidities. We also dive into the often-overlooked importance of sequencing osteoporosis medications correctly, including a compelling discussion on why starting with an anabolic agent may offer greater long-term benefits than reserving it as a last-line option.