Steven Abramson, MD, professor of medicine and director of the rheumatology division at NYU Langone Medical Center, hosted a webinar with colleagues from the medical center for rheumatoid arthritis community bloggers – bringing together, bench, bedside and the blogosphere to discuss advances in the investigation, care, and treatment of RA. The webinar can be viewed at: http://coe.musculoskeletaldisease.med.nyu.edu/research/whats-up-with-ra-webinar
"Although we have made significant advances in the treatment of RA, many people continue to have significant symptoms. Today people with RA use the Internet as a resource to stay informed and support each other – and this was a good forum to discuss advances in arthritis research here at NYU Langone with a group that not only deals with the challenges of RA – but are vocal advocates for themselves and others," said Dr Abramson. "It's important that information about treatments and research be shared and disseminated from appropriate and reliable sources."
The webinar, "What's up with RA," was attended by several members of the RA online community. Presentations were followed by a brief opportunity to ask questions of the panelists, Steven Abramson, MD, professor and director of rheumatology and co-director, Center of Excellence on Musculoskeletal Diseases; Gregg Silverman, MD, professor of rheumatology and co-director, Center of Excellence on Musculoskeletal Diseases; and Soumya Reddy, MD, assistant professor of rheumatology and co-director of the NYU Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Program.
"A fascinating look into the revolutionary new world of RA, covering advances in knowledge about the disease, research and treatment," said Lene Andersen, who is the community leader for www.MyRACentral.com and author of the award-winning blog, The Seated View. "This webinar provided high-quality information that can be used to advocate for change in treatment approaches and patient empowerment for both clinicians and those who live with RA."
RA is a condition where the immune system – which is designed to protect our health by attacking foreign cells such as viruses and bacteria – attacks the body's own healthy tissues, specifically the thin membrane that lines the joints, causing fluid build-up and pain. Though the actual cause is still unknown, the Arthritis Foundation estimates that 1.3 million people in the United States have RA – nearly one percent of the nation's adult population. There are nearly three times as many women as men with the disease.
NYU Langone Medical Center has extensive expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as well as being a leader in translational research. The same labs that developed the proteins resulting in development of Remicade now work jointly with clinicians, cell biologists and musculoskeletal experts at NYU Langone's Hospital for Joint Diseases to leverage advances in biogenetics to identify the next generation of treatments. For more information about research into autoimmune and other condition of the musculoskeletal system, go to http://medicine.med.nyu.edu/rheumatology/ and http://coe.musculoskeletaldisease.med.nyu.edu/.
About NYU Langone Medical Center
NYU Langone Medical Center, a world-class, patient-centered, integrated, academic medical center, is one on the nation's premier centers for excellence in clinical care, biomedical research and medical education. Located in the heart of Manhattan, NYU Langone is composed of three hospitals – Tisch Hospital, its flagship acute care facility; the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the first rehabilitation hospital in the world; and the Hospital for Joint Diseases, one of only five hospitals in the nations dedicated to orthopaedics and rheumatology – plus the NYU School of Medicine, which since 1841 has trained thousand of physicians and scientists who have helped to share the course of medical history. The medical center's tri-fold mission to serve, teach and discover is achieved 365 days a year through the seamless integration of a culture devoted to excellence in patient care, education and research. For more information, go to www.NYULMC.org.