Recent News
Beck et al has published a review of the VEXAS syndrome in The Lancet, focusing on the pathogenesis, spectrum, and treatment strategies.Read Article
Machine learning predicts macrophage activation syndrome in adult Still's disease - 312 AOSD - XGBoost model had 5 predictors: ferritin, splenomegaly, Plt#, cholesterol, & ESR (AUC 0.839, sensit 0.824, specificity 0.710. https://t.co/QrogaCYPCT https://t.co/Z6WgCnFTfx
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Danish real-world study anifrolumab use in 36 #SLE pts. SLEDAI-2K decreased from 8 (baseline) to 2 @ mos 3; @6 mos 52% had SLEDAI-2K=0. 87% had PGA ≤0.5 w/ LLDAS, & 70% DORIS remission. Pred use declined by >50%. Herpes infx were most freq AE https://t.co/tbMOyOioeU https://t.co/jDJgImjgQt
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Phase 1b trial shows transdermal Curcumin Gel (VAS-101) in was effective in Knee Osteoarthritis. Enrolled 60 KOA pts 45–75 yrs Rx w/ PBO or gel qd x 28d w/ signif improvement in pain & KOOS scores https://t.co/yNiNocZxa4 https://t.co/3W7j1bIvBc
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
UK Our Future Health study of 1,563,155 finds affective Dz (depression, bipolar, anxiety) signific higher (p<0.001)in autoimmune pts vs gen. pop. (29% vs 18%) - dx by PHQ-9, GAD-7. (OR 1.86), even after adjustments income and pain, etc. https://t.co/HoKBeAZxbS https://t.co/LnC4lqqgq7
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Korean study 50600 adult RA pts (Dx 2010-2020) shows Sustained high-income was assoc w/ reduced mortality, esp in younger pts (adj HR 0.50 <65 years vs 0.74 ≥65 years). Amplifed by Rural residence https://t.co/DUZoNsPSHj https://t.co/PV3Umlrgvv
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Updated CRA/SPARCC Recommendations for Axial Spondyloarthritis
In 2024, the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CMA) and the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) published a comprehensive set of 56 treatment recommendations for the management of axial spondyloarthritis. This first update is focused on the reassessment of IL-17i recommendations.
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There is very little evidence that kinesio taping has any true benefits in patients with musculoskeletal disorders https://t.co/3HIJOljacA https://t.co/Xz1YvQtHGs
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
1/3 of American adults have poor sleep. New survey from Amer. Academy Sleep Medicine shows 45% of pts never discuss sleep issues with their doctors; only 15% discussed it with a sleep specialist. https://t.co/uvlHjpuVs8 https://t.co/fDOtp9rxOn
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ILD in RA - Recent Advances. Dr. Jeffrey Sparks
ILD in RA – Dr. Jeffrey Sparks
In this https://t.co/4UQlqwujiR 2026 podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Sparks reviews the latest advances shaping diagnosis and management of ILD in RA.
🎧 Listen here: https://t.co/R3hWpqxo8q
#Rheumatology #ILD https://t.co/XsA6hiiTrd
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Update on Primary CNS Angiitis
The Journal of Neurology has posted a review and update of Primary CNS vasculitis (PCNSV), also termed primary angiitis of the CNS (PACNS). PCNSV is rare, potentially fatal, and highly treatable, making timely recognition and accurate diagnosis https://t.co/cjGX1ig8Lp
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Open label RCT in 116 DMARD-naïve #RA pts Rx w/ tofacitinib or MTX (after 1 IM steroid injx). @3 mos, TOFA signif better than MTX for >50% SDAI improv(94 v 75%), CDAI[14.5 v 7.3), DAS28-CRP[1.7 v 1.2] https://t.co/smOuLlVFyX https://t.co/xGvbiu62OB
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Japanese ANSWER study Rx 7268 RA pts initiating bDMARDs or JAKi by orthos or Rheums. Vs Rheums, Ortho Rx RA had longer Dz duration, more seropositivity, functional impairment, less comorbidity, more MTX/GC/TNFi, less AE D/Cs - responses & outcomes were similar https://t.co/1ryA8C2p1b
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
What's it like to have RA? MARY: "I can manage the pain, the exhaustion, and side effects of the meds. The hard part is grief. I grieve for me, the adventurer that decided what she wanted and boldly went after it, no matter what. I trusted myself to handle whatever came. Now https://t.co/GakWIy2XCt
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
TENS Efficacy in Fibromyalgia
A randomized clinical trial of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in fibromyalgia showed meaningful improvement in pain for 6 months when combined with physical therapy (PT).
https://t.co/Gm81FWoTQN https://t.co/2gq2cDFUh7
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Brepocitinib in Dermatomyositis
The NEJM reports that brepocitinib, an oral TYK2–JAK1 inhibitor, was studied in a phase 3 trial of refractory dermatomyositis (DM) patients and shown to have significant benefits at the higher dose.
https://t.co/gYLP5artRZ https://t.co/PHYXEzzM2j
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
"When there are conflicting diagnostic possibilities, trust your excellent history and physical examination more than laboratory testing and imaging."
- Arthur Weinstein, MD
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
FDA has issued a drug safety warning for avacopan (Tavneos), dentifying 76 cases of drug-induced liver injury, including 7 cases of rare vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS). There were 8 deaths https://t.co/2GkYNg1Apn https://t.co/fW2qafKCew
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Myocarditis causes 17,000 deaths/Yr worldwide. Causes include A) iatrogenic/autoimmune: checkpoint inhibitors & gene therapy; B) High income countries: parvo B19, herpesvirus 6; C) low income: dengue, HIV, malaria and Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease) https://t.co/0FjPyXygpz https://t.co/04J23AiqtK
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Target trial emulation: biologics or JAK vs RTX in RA-ILD -- abatacept (n=694), JAKi (156), IL-6i (389), or TNFi (734), PS-matched =# RTX; no significant differences (HR 0.74-1.09 NS) in outcomes of resp hosp, lung transplant & death. But ABA (HR 0.84) & JAKi (HR 0.62) had less https://t.co/c9IVwQYwMN
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Video
From the Blog
At first, it seemed similar to many other such sessions – a circle of folding chairs, a group of colleagues whose visages exuded understanding and acceptance – but this was special. I started the meeting…. “Hi, my name is Artie.”
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Podcasts
Whats New PsA? (4.3.2026)
PsA GRAPPA Domains- Outcomes With a JAKi-
Moral Distress (3.27.2026)
DERM on RheumNow Podcast (March 2026)
Therapeutic Updates
PsA GRAPPA domains: Outcomes With a JAKi
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
Dr. Schwartzman and Dr. Ruderman discuss how PsA disease activity across GRAPPA domains may guide treatment decisions, sharing both the evidence for and their experience with a JAKi across domains.
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Poster Hall
