Recent News
Read ArticleDr. Jack Cush lectures on giving a great presentation; based on 40 years of lecturing in Rheumatology.
Steroids
Corticosteroids remain a cornerstone of rheumatologic therapy — rapidly effective but chronically dangerous, as their power to suppress inflammation through inhibition of prostaglandins, lipoxygenase, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and proteases comes at the cost of a https://t.co/fKGgYF3yWA
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
RCT 120 mod-severe hip OA (KL 2-4) pts Rx w/ THA +rehab or exercise. @12 mos. THA had signif. better pain, function & HRQoL vs exercise program alone (WOMAC total -30.9 vs -3.7). (38% of exercise/conservative grp needed THA) https://t.co/6vvRAr6isf https://t.co/VOYgS3PPwr
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
DERM on RheumNow PODCAST (April 2026)
The Derm on RheumNow podcast is a collection of Citations and Content curated for dermatologists – addressing Psoriasis, PsA, CLE, vasculitis, HS, other CTD skin disorders. dermatology drugs, biologics, JAKs - their use, efficacy and side https://t.co/SlCGA364gj
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
COVID Virus Persistence with DMARD Use
Drugs commonly used to treat systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) may prolong SARS-CoV-2 circulation after COVID-19 infection in patients with these conditions, with researchers documenting substantially increased viral antigen https://t.co/szeILIbmjF
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Among 1074 #PsA tested annually, RF positivity was found in 16.1% overall (5.1% RF+ at baseline). RF+ rediced odds of MDA (OR 0.53) w/ incr risk of bDMARD discontinuation (OR 2.65) https://t.co/AmG6hkWABW https://t.co/MYhkfxAh0r
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FDA Targeting the Safety of Avacopan
The future of avacopan is up in the air. In April, the FDA issued a drug safety warning, previously requesting that Amgen to pull its rare disease drug Tavneos from the market. Now, there appears more pressure to remove it from the market. https://t.co/Otl0WQaOqo
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
“Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better. “
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
True or False: In a meta-analysis, RA was associated with a significantly increased risk of osteoporotic fractures in female patients but not in male patients. See if you got it right in the latest RheumIQ quiz at https://t.co/HCxOwRl2Tq. https://t.co/O9WRKQKmu4
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Switch or Cycle - Upadacitinib vs Adalimumab in Refractory RA
After the first tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) failure, patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) responded by switching to upadacitinib, compared to cycling to a second TNFi, adalimumab. https://t.co/Cml3Z7ZyQP
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Knee pain: JAMA review
- 5% PCP visits knee pain
- Knee OA ~654 million worldwide
- Patellofemoral pain: <40 yrs & physically active; pain on squat
- Meniscal tears in 12% adults (McMurray 61% sensitive; 84% specific; Joint line tender 83% sensitive; 83% specific) https://t.co/2fdpl464mb
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Prospective study of 305 Consecutive newly diagnosed axSpA pts (55% male; Dx delay 6 yrs; 75% B27+). 56% w/ r-axSpA more male w/ hi CRP. nr-axSpA had more inflam LBP, +FHx SpA. SpA Dx made without sacroiliitis in 12%; only 2/38 later developed sacroiliitis https://t.co/xPlGwZ7Kjk https://t.co/2TBQALvxsG
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Anifrolumab (Saphnelo) approved in the US for subcutaneous self-administration as a new autoinjector for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus based on SC-TULIP study. Presumeably, all prior CRL issues resolved to FDA satisfaction... https://t.co/ZtZmJLcGYa https://t.co/4B2YDpFaep
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Which autoimmune condition carries the highest relative risk for lymphoma? Test your knowledge in the latest RheumIQ quiz at https://t.co/TBlB4pmnKa https://t.co/sx8fpdHgHN
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Review of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease plaqued by systemic comorbidities that increase morbidity, mortality, and treatment complexity. Obesity is a significant contributor to psoriatic disease. https://t.co/R1Uutdjcvz
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
FDA Targeting the Safety of Avacopan
The future of avacopan is up in the air. In April, the FDA issued a drug safety warning, previously requesting that Amgen to pull its rare disease drug Tavneos from the market. Now, there appears more pressure to remove it from the market. https://t.co/4PyIoqwNIL
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
APR: Steroids
https://t.co/FxqGaijo6w https://t.co/OrybGNXsdf
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
EULAR Recommendations for Physical Activity in Arthritis
EULAR has published a 2025 update for physical activity recommendations for patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
https://t.co/RFECflCUgf https://t.co/Da7D6KpN6q
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Among 1074 #PsA tested annually, RF positivity was found in 16.1% overall (5.1% RF+ at baseline). RF+ rediced odds of MDA (OR 0.53) w/ incr risk of bDMARD discontinuation (OR 2.65) https://t.co/RS3BvufE7F https://t.co/cxKk2xZmoS
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Synovial tissue study from 244 #OA pts undergoing surgery, finds variable synovial pathotypes - High-grade synovitis in 64% (55% lympho-myeloid, 12% diffuse-myeloid, 33% pauci-immune). Lympho-myeloid had highest inflammation, incr by high BMI. https://t.co/cc0Z3KWtY0 https://t.co/zf7r23KGCy
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)

Poster Hall
