I’m a marathoner! On Sunday, Nov. 6, I ran the TCS New York City Marathon, my first 26.2-mile race. And I did it with sarcoidosis-affected lungs. In the end, each mile was like a race of its own. Miles 1–2: I’m on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, leaving Staten…

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) has awarded pulmonologist Nabeel Hamzeh, MD, at the University of Iowa, a $50,000 grant to develop blood biomarkers of cardiac sarcoidosis. His project, titled “Cardiac-Specific Cell Free DNA Biomarkers for Cardiac Sarcoidosis,” will focus on the biomarker potential of heart cell-specific circulating cell-free…

Among sarcoidosis patients referred for lung transplant, the risk of death while on the waitlist is higher for women and those who have severe pulmonary hypertension (PH), or high blood pressure in the lungs, a new study reports. “Clinicians should be mindful of the increased mortality in [advanced…

For the past few days, I’ve been feeling distant in my relationships, mostly because of an unusual series of deaths close to me. This is the 19th year since I lost my mother. It’s also been 18 years since I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. For some reason, I’ve been…

Infliximab — marketed as Remicade and biosimilars — had steroid-sparing effects superior to methotrexate in the treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis, a small study found. The success rate of a tapering course of corticosteroids was significantly better when infliximab was added to the regimen than when the steroid was used…

If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it. That’s a familiar line that most folks have heard once or twice. To be honest, I’ve heard it from my male friends more than anyone else. It seems like they had a specific meaning in mind, but as usual, it means something…

Recently, I’ve had a dry cough that just won’t go away. I know that’s an odd way to start a column, but it’s that annoying. Fortunately, I’m pretty sure the cough is due to the seasons changing here in New York, as my lungs and sinuses often need a few…

The other day I received a text from an old friend of my wife and me. He needed help editing a video, which is my expertise. He knew I had the software to do what was needed and thought it’d be an easy fix. During our back-and-forth texts, he told…

A new type of biochemical analysis called ACE phenotyping may help diagnose sarcoidosis involvement outside the lungs, a study proposes. “We believe that our method allows for the noninvasive detection of patients with systemic sarcoidosis,” the researchers wrote. The study, “Predictive potential of ACE phenotyping in…

As I type this, it’s the evening of Yom Kippur, the final night of the Jewish High Holy Days. It’s a period of reflection and atonement, of forgiveness and renewal. It’s our new year, a time for new beginnings. And in a moment that seems serendipitous, I feel like I’m…