News

Penn Medicine‘s app for sarcoidosis patients, Apple’s ResearchKit, is now available on android. Patients with android phones, Google Pixel and Samsung, for example, now can download the app from the Google Play store. The announcement was shared on the website of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis…

A G908R mutation in the NOD2 gene is an indicator of familial sarcoidosis, according to a French study. When present in combination with IL17RA, EPHA2, and KALRN gene variants, it influences disease progression, researchers reported. Their study, “G908R NOD2 variant in a family with sarcoidosis,” was published…

Sarcoidosis patients can be divided into women over age 40 with skin and eye lesions, and men under 40 with lung involvement, according to a large survey conducted in Japan. The study, titled “Nationwide survey on the organ-specific prevalence and its interaction with sarcoidosis in Japan,”…

A recent study shows that while lung function was unaffected, patients with fibrotic sarcoidosis report increased respiratory symptoms and decreased quality of life after short-term exposure to air pollution. This small cohort study, titled “Short-Term Particulate Air Pollution Exposure is Associated with Increased Severity of Respiratory and…

A new case report from India describes the occurrence of both sarcoidosis and tuberculosis (TB) in a patient with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and highlights the importance of early treatment in these rare cases. The study, “Coexistence of Sarcoidosis and Tuberculosis Presenting with Severe…

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research recently launched a Patient Ambassador Program called “Ask the Ambassadors!” to help people with sarcoidosis clarify questions they may have about life with the condition, treatment options, and other topics. The foundation believes that the causes of sarcoidosis, and ultimately a cure, will…

As President Trump signed the recently passed Right to Try legislation into law in a White House ceremony, Jordan McLinn of Indianapolis tried twice to embrace him. The third time, 9-year-old Jordan finally got the hug he wanted — as well as a kiss on the forehead. The video of…

Levels of endocan, an indicator of inflammation, can be used as a predictive biomarker for the involvement of the cardiovascular system and the development of atherosclerosis in patients with sarcoidosis, a new study shows. The study titled, “Endocan Levels and Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients With Sarcoidosis,” was published…

Finding treatments and potential cures for rare diseases is crucial, but so is the quality of patients’ lives — a rather nebulous term that means different things to different people. “Recently, there’s been much more of a focus on Quality of Life (QoL) issues, real-world evidence and patient-reported outcomes,” said…

Mindfulness exercises can help decrease the physical and psychological symptoms of sarcoidosis and improve well-being and motivation in patients and caregivers, a small study found. Sarcoidosis patients, including some who have achieved clinical remission, can experience psychosocial consequences of the disease including depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. Coping strategies and methods…