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Wise up to the smartphone   June 17, 2010 | Issue 3 If you want to talk to physicians, it might be a good idea to pick up the phone. According to one report,* physician use of smartphones is soaring: 64% had them in 2009, and researchers predict that 81% will have them by 2012. Taking advantage of smartphone technology, Harrison and Star recently created a "congress app" that allows physicians to view the convention floor, download abstracts, and access maps of the host city—complete with restaurant guides and points of interest.       FDA stiff-arms Daxas, demands more info on COPD drug May 18, 2010 The FDA rejected the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) drug Daxas, which was not a surprise given the rejection it received from an FDA advisory panel last month. The agency asked for more information on the drug before it could give approval, according to a statement from Forest. Read more >> Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis May 18, 2010, Journal of Rheumatology A recent article published in the Journal of Rheumatology supports the systemic nature of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Investigators found that there is substantial evidence pointing to the elevated risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Read more >> Methotrexate is not disease modifying in psoriatic arthritis May 2010, Rheumatology News Placebo-controlled trial findings show that although methotrexate therapy results in some symptomatic improvement after 6 months of therapy, the drug has little effect on measures that suggest disease modification, including joint swelling and the acute-phase response. These findings call into question the use of methotrexate monotherapy in psoriatic arthritis. Read more >> ACG experts provide insight on the latest IBD therapies, pregnancy and pediatric patient concerns in new podcast series May 28, 2010 The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) announced the release of a new podcast series, "Audio Q&A on Inflammatory Bowel Disease." Topics include issues surrounding reproduction and fertility, diet and nutrition, new and emerging therapies, the importance of clinical trials, and pediatric IBD. Read more >> Apremilast, a novel PDE4 inhibitor, inhibits spontaneous production of TNF alpha from human rheumatoid synovial cells and ameliorates experimental arthritis June 3, 2010, Arthritis Research and Therapy This study showed that apremilast reduces TNF alpha production by human synovial cells and murine forms of inflammatory arthritis similar to rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, apremilast treatment in mice did not induce class-associated side effects. This suggests that apremilast may be an important new treatment for inflammatory arthritides, including rheumatoid arthritis. Read more >>       *Sarasohn-Kahn J. How smartphones are changing health care for consumers and providers. California HealthCare Foundation. April 2010. www.chcf.org.