Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is linked to a 25% higher risk of developing sarcoidosis, according to a recent study in Sweden. The therapy consists of administering sex hormones, either estrogen alone or an estrogen and progesterone combination, to treat common menopausal symptoms such as “hot flashes.” The highest risk…

Whether I’m resting after a long day at the infusion center or busy working on my next big project, my TV is almost always on. It’s mostly background noise, something familiar so I don’t have to pay attention. It could be a “Law & Order” marathon or a…

Bone fractures, particularly those of the spine, are a common complication among people with sarcoidosis, according to a study that assessed nearly 400 patients. Data showed that sarcoidosis-related lung involvement and reduced lung function were risk factors for major bone fractures. Chest X-rays examining lung involvement, as well as…

Having elevated levels of a protein called BNP is associated with an increased risk of death and serious heart health problems in people with cardiac sarcoidosis, a study has found. Results also suggest inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium) or reduced function of the left ventricle (the part of…

A noninvasive heart imaging scan may help identify cardiac sarcoidosis patients at risk of worse clinical outcomes, according to a study. A value of 42% or lower in left ventricular ejection fraction, or LVEF, a measure of how much blood is being pumped out of the heart’s left ventricle…

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) has awarded $100,000 in funding to support U.S.-based research projects aimed at improving knowledge and diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis, a type of sarcoidosis that affects the heart. The funds were split into two cardiac sarcoidosis-specific grants, of $50,000 each. One…

Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) may be a cost-effective approach relative to standard-of-care glucocorticoid therapy for adults with advanced active pulmonary sarcoidosis. That’s according to an analysis done by the therapy’s developer Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, which found that “the initial high cost of Acthar Gel treatment for sarcoidosis…

Blood levels of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) — a common sarcoidosis biomarker — were able to distinguish between newly diagnosed sarcoidosis patients with single versus multiple organ involvement, a study shows. Also, higher blood levels of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), an inflammatory marker, were linked with multiple organ involvement. ACE…

In Finland, only 2% of sarcoidosis patients without symptoms of eye involvement indeed had ocular sarcoidosis, suggesting that routine eye examinations are not needed in the Finnish patient population. But as the frequency of ocular sarcoidosis varies considerably among people with sarcoidosis worldwide, “more studies are needed to…

The prognosis for people with cardiac sarcoidosis may depend on the condition of their heart at diagnosis and not on whether other organs are also affected, a study in Japan suggests. Isolated cardiac sarcoidosis, where the disease is limited to the heart, is a significant risk factor for worse…