Author Archives: Janet Stewart, MSc

A new case report describes a patient with arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint (SC joint, the joint between the collar bone and the breastbone, or sternum) who was later diagnosed with sarcoidosis. This kind of arthritis has apparently never been reported before in a sarcoidosis patient. According to the…

A small study assessing antibody levels in sarcoidosis patients at the time of their diagnosis found that elevated levels did not predict a more severe disease progression. But French researchers found that higher levels of the ACE enzyme and the involvement of areas of the body outside the lungs were associated…

A recent study found that migraines are at least as common in patients with sarcoidosis as they are in the general public, and they affect women more than men. The study’s authors highlighted the need for better recognition and targeted treatment of migraine in people with sarcoidosis. The study, “…

Experts recently reviewed the latest advances in pulmonary sarcoidosis research, highlighting possible causes of the disease, as well as potential treatment candidates. The article, “The Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and Implications for Treatment,” was published in CHEST Journal. Sarcoidosis is common in the lungs, characterized…

Researchers found higher numbers of two species of bacteria in the lungs of patients with sarcoidosis, and call for further studies to better understand their importance in the development of the disease. The study, “Atopobium and Fusobacterium as novel candidates for sarcoidosis-associated microbiota,” was published in…

A study found that the biggest share — 72% — of total healthcare costs among sarcoidosis patients in the U.S. is spent on the top 20% of the most costly patients. And these high-cost patients were found to have more complicated health conditions, the study said. The study, titled “…

Patients with sarcoidosis have lower coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR), a measure of disturbances in blood flow in heart muscles, compared to healthy volunteers, researchers found. The study, “Coronary flow reserve is reduced in sarcoidosis,” was published in the journal Atherosclerosis. CFVR is the maximum…

Sarcoidosis patients have three times the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) than individuals without the disease, a new report finds. The report, “Association of Sarcoidosis With Increased Risk of VTE: A Population-Based Study, 1976 to 2013,” appeared in the journal Chest. VTE includes two conditions:…

A study assessing the healthcare resources and cost of sarcoidosis care to commercial insurance payers in the U.S. found that patients selected from a privately-insured administrative claims database had higher total healthcare costs and more lost work days on average in one year compared to control subjects without the disease.

A woman in Turkey with a 10-year history of sarcoidosis was given the additional diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), a heritable disease that rarely occurs simultaneously with sarcoidosis. The case report, “Coexistence of sarcoidosis and Familial Mediterranean Fever,” was published in the journal Reumatología…