Recent News
Read ArticleDr, Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
The weight is off, the DMARDs are off - now what?
Sometimes it’s only when we have effective solutions that we have to think about what to do next. And when that happens, remember why we do things in the first place. In an era when weight loss is happening on scale, now we need https://t.co/MTjU5YRS5q
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Observational study of 228 #PsA pts Rx biologics, either early (<2yrs; mean 6 mos) vs later (mean 3.6 yrs). Groups were balanced in all parameters; after 6 mos no diff in DAPSA50 or PASI75 response. Biologics work regardless of when started. https://t.co/ZCDR8l2CsI https://t.co/PHgtgZu12G
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Treatment for Obesity and Inflammation, but at what Cost?
https://t.co/v87FxQqrAv https://t.co/Oonrexyp0F
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Obesity & Biologic Treatment Response
Prepared for "The Obesity Imperative" campaign.
https://t.co/72TFW6BWgG https://t.co/XWFWoH2D33
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Petri SLE Pearls: An Update
At the CCR West 2026 conference in Huntington Beach, California, Dr. Michelle Petri updated her Petri Pearls. Some are derived from new data, while others are from her extensive experience caring for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). As always, her observations and wisdom have helped clinicians improve patients’ lives through the decades. The valuable pearls she presented are listed here:
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Ambient AI in Rheumatology Practice: Less Typing or Less Human?
Ambient AI documentation is being adopted as a tool for clinical documentation, with the potential to improve efficiency and patient interaction. This may be particularly well suited to rheumatology, where visits often involve complex, longitudinal histories, multiple high-risk medications, and extensive counseling. Ambient AI also introduces significant risks.
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Prednisone Primer for Patients
The Washington Post published a patient overview on "what Prednisone does to your body".
Prednisone is a double-edged drug. It has been on the market since 1955, ranks among the 40 most-prescribed US drugs, and about 10 million Americans receive
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Worldwide the Sjögren’s disease market size was valued at approximately $1 billion USD in 2025 and is projected to reach nearly $10 billion USD by 2036 (with annual growth of 26.2% during the forecast period from 2026 to 2036). https://t.co/kxwftpIDeo https://t.co/RnEbzqFi2W
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QD Clinic: Managing Muscle and Fat Loss with GLP-1s
Dr. David Liew, Melbourne, presents this QD Clinic as part of RheumNow's "The Obesity Imperative" campaign presented in September 2026.
https://t.co/t9uD7TGKjZ https://t.co/BzE1m04E2s
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
ARthritis & CAncer (ARCA) is Spanish retro study of 728 #RA pts w/ Hx of CA & Rx w/ biologics. W/ F/U of 11 022 yrs, new/recurrent CA was not incr (7.3/1000PYs) & = Pts Rx w/ csDMARDs (HRs 0.94; 0.73,1.21) & not incr w/ TNFi (0.94), IL-6i (1.03), CD20i (0.81), JAKi (0.6), ABA https://t.co/UUWlsaYV0Z
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Mediterranean Diet Lowers Incident Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published the results of the SUN Project study, showing that long-term adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was associated with a substantially lower risk of https://t.co/9GhEwXuCEI
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Bringing TOGETHER-PsA Into Clinical Practice
The TOGETHER-PsA trial provides prospective evidence supporting an integrated approach to PsA and weight management, reinforcing the importance of addressing both inflammatory disease activity and metabolic health as part of https://t.co/WmF4mdxDWR
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GCA international survey of 155 specialists (rheums 51%; ophthal 33%). w/ GCA dx, ASA started in only 15%; w/ 69.5% uncertain. w/ visual loss, 93% Rheums, 85% Ophthal Rx w/ IVGC, followed by oral. Uncertainty for IV versus po GC seen in 68.5% https://t.co/sWZQv8yw3u https://t.co/08tdXxDve8
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The GLP-1 Opportunity Cost in Rheumatology
There is no doubt it is an incredibly exciting time to be tackling obesity-related diseases, like many rheumatic diseases appear to be, to some extent. However, deep down, a part of us must dread adding yet another conversation to a crowded consultation. One of two things has to happen: we either outsource, or get more efficient. Ideally we can do a bit of both.
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Do biologic Rx lower risk of PsA? Metanalysis (15 studies, 124,138 psoriasis pts, 778K PYrs F/U), showed Biologic use assoc w/ lower risk of PsA (HR 0.54); best for IL-17i (0.65) & IL-12/23 or IL-23i (0.46) vs TNFi. IL-23i superior to IL-17i (HR 0.67) https://t.co/pjZZJ8yq9A https://t.co/yIwQs2FwLW
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VA/DoD 2025 Obesity Guidelines
Annals of Internal Medicine has published the updated 2025 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guidelines on adult Overweight and Obesity management. This effort involved a multidisciplinary panel https://t.co/ukuKGCHhOf
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Amgen announced topline results from the Phase 3 OASIZ 301 study showing the efficacy of dazodalibep in Sjögren's dz, w/ signif ESSDAI improvements at wek 48. DAZO is a CD40L antagonist fusion protein https://t.co/5QPBdZivxC https://t.co/VfV873Lire
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Obesity as a Risk Factor for Rheumatic Diseases
https://t.co/zTEHDbTGjb https://t.co/1JuGAfL5oK
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
The Need for Weight Loss and Weight Gain in the ILD Clinic
https://t.co/UaKW9GPJTN https://t.co/QGYblSxbfP
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Video
From the Blog
The costs of GLP-1 agonists must come down in order to make these treatments available to the people who need them - including many people with rheumatologic diseases.
Podcasts
Remission – Believe it or Not (10.2.2026)
The Four Pillars of Weight Loss Part 4
DERM on RheumNow PODCAST (September 2026)
Tuesday Night Rheumatology: More than the Meds
Therapeutic Updates
Clinical dilemmas in axSpA and PsA
Sponsored by UCB
Explore some of the challenges rheumatologists face in clinical practice, including expert perspectives from UCB's Annual International Immunology Summit.
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PsA Beyond the Joints: Rheum, Derm, and Gastro Perspectives
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
Dr. Saakshi Khattri hosts dermatologist Dr. Ahmad Amin and gastroenterologist Dr. Joshua Steinberg to discuss multidisciplinary care in PsA and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Learn how signals in the skin and gut may prompt the need for collaboration across specialties to support better patient outcomes that extend beyond the joints.
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Obesity – Inflammation – PsA
Sponsored by Lilly Medical Affairs
Learn about the inflammatory intersection between Psoriatic Arthritis and Obesity, and why adiposity is more than a comorbidity.
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Poster Hall
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
