Treating During Pregnancy (11.14.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the journal articles, news and guidelines from this past week on RheumNow.com
Read Article
Can EMR Treatment Suggestions Improve Decision Making?
EurekAlert!
In a new study involving 402 U.S.-based primary care physicians, researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Sydney identified a “sweet spot” in clinical decision-making. By presenting just the right number of treatment alternatives in the electronic health record (EHR) system
Read Article
There is a growing burden of #OA among middle-aged adults, rising by 123.7%, from 11.8 million in 1990 to 26.4 million in 2021. 56.5% of incident cases & 38% of prevalent cases occur in middle-aged group (70% higher than the elderly (>60 years) population). Highest in hi-income. https://t.co/JVpZ96qe0E
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RETREAT study was a 12 wk RCT of Tai Chi in 178 knee OA pts Rx w/ online OA info vs same plus free web based tai chi video program. Tai Chi group had signif improved knee pain (−2.7 v -1.2); (−12 v −6.9) & achieved a minimal pain & function (73% v 47%); and Its free! https://t.co/WLzQ9YHrcu
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
In the epidemiology session on the final day of #ACR25, a large cohort study (>430k pts) showed that GLP-1 receptor agonists were linked to lower incidence of RA, gout & OA vs DPP-4 inhibitors. Adds to the growing case for GLP-1 benefits beyond glucose control. @RheumNow #2657
Mrinalini Dey @DrMiniDey( View Tweet )
Disease activity associated with symtomatic knee OA and increased with increased KL grades
Abst#2625 #ACR25 @RheumNow https://t.co/uCrdnVXk0J
Links:
Bella Mehta @bella_mehta( View Tweet )
A new IA drug in OA 🚨
Cell therapy of apoptotic PBMCs ENX-CL-05-001
RCT Ph2A moderate to severe OA
134 pts 3 injections vs. PBO
Pain improvement 24%
Better response in people > 60 and more so 65yo
Potential improvement for > 6mo
Safety mainly local reactions to compound https://t.co/m2MZN3i22b
Aurelie Najm @AurelieRheumo( View Tweet )
GLP-1 in Knee Osteoarthritis https://t.co/SxyVEAK1CZ
@bella_mehta Discusses role of GLP1 in OA and possible mechanisms of effectiveness ? weight reduction ? or doses it have anti-inflammatory -anti-fibrotic role ?
@RheumNow
#ACR25
Links:
Nouf Al hemmadi @NoufAhmedAlham2( View Tweet )
GLP1 receptors are present on cartilage, synovial and specific cells such as macrophages.
Also endogenous GLP1 seemed to protect the cartilage in animal models
#ACR25 @RheumNow https://t.co/ekNWbtPO4b
Links:
Bella Mehta @bella_mehta( View Tweet )
Many GLP-1 drugs in the pipeline for management in #OA
#ACR25 @rheumnow https://t.co/y3UCp0CcUb
Bella Mehta @bella_mehta( View Tweet )
Semaglitide did help in weight loss and decrease in pain in knee OA
https://t.co/240sR5An3m
#acr25 @rheumnow
Question is that is the pain decrease is secondary to weight loss or an independent effect? https://t.co/R2v5YDP3A5
Links:
Bella Mehta @bella_mehta( View Tweet )
List of GLP1 agonists approved currently..would they have effects in #OA
Session title is should we gave them to everyone?
#ACR25 @RheumNow https://t.co/dXwB6Jkg8C
Bella Mehta @bella_mehta( View Tweet )
#0852 LEVI-04, a novel p75NTR-Fc fusion protein, significantly reduces MRI bone marrow lesions in knee #OA 🦵📉
Phase II RCT (n=518): dose-dependent BML reduction (p<0.001) + correlated improvement in pain & function. Promising structure-modifying OA therapy
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/huA8OaFGSd
Mrinalini Dey @DrMiniDey( View Tweet )
In this ph2 trial of LEVI-04 for knee #osteoarthritis,
At wk 20, LEVI-04 ⬇️ bone marrow lesions (BML), greater ⬇️ in BML area even w/ higher KL grades
Promising treatment.
#ACR25 @RheumNow Abs0852 #ACRBest https://t.co/MrmLPlFiDs
Links:
sheila @RHEUMarampa( View Tweet )
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Impacts Beyond Metabolism?
The GLP-1 story has been hard to miss this year, and at ACR Convergence, it’s clear that these drugs are starting to make real waves in rheumatology. Across multiple abstracts, investigators have used a large real-world dataset, the TriNetX network, to explore how GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-
Read Article
Meniscal tears - Systematic review of 46 studies
- Incidence of 66 per 100,000
- Annual cost of 5 billion to US healthcare
- Trend to preserve the meniscus, do less removal, more preservation
- Biologic Rx (platelet-rich plasma & stem cell Rx) inconclusive results https://t.co/IPyRFad9GX
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
UK National Joint Registry study of 1.5 million TKR and THA (2010 to 2022); trends show median Length of hosp stay (LOS) decreased from 4.3d to 2.75 d for THR; & from 4.35d to 2.9d for TKR; & from 3.2d to 1.9d for UKR (unilat. knee replacement). Longer LOS with comorbidity, https://t.co/DNBZTPFRsl
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Whole Body MRI for Arthritis
Whole-body MRI (wbMRI) reviews have increasingly appeared in the medical literature, owing to better scanners, faster imaging times and reduced costs. Use of such non-oncologic musculoskeletal imaging provides high-contrast resolution images of the https://t.co/RQBPDhf1Vb
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Bad Actor Cofactor (10.17.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports, discusses pediatric reports, pregnancy data, diet and nutrition and more.
Read Article
BMJ Systematic review of 217 RCTs w/ 15 684 pts shows most beneficial exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis are aerobic activities such as walking, cycling, or swimming significantly mitigated pain during both short and mid-term follow-up periods https://t.co/WmQBFNis6t https://t.co/KXv2mogvZx
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Arthritis Pain and Education Gaps Linked
EurekAlert!
New research from The University of Texas at Arlington shows that differences in state welfare policies are linked to rising arthritis-related joint pain across much of the U.S.
Read Article
Whole Body MRI for Arthritis
Whole-body MRI (wbMRI) reviews have increasingly appeared in the medical literature, owing to better scanners, faster imaging times and reduced costs. Use of such non-oncologic musculoskeletal imaging provides high-contrast resolution images of the https://t.co/6RIrDOwQx2
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Systematic review of obesity management meds - 56 RCTs (60,307 pts). All OMMs were better at total weight loss than PBO (P < 0.0001), >10% semaglutide & tirzepatide (both effective at NIDDM CHF). Semaglutide effective reducing pain in knee osteoarthritis https://t.co/4MX2IiDC2X
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Tramadol not effective at chronic pain
EurekAlert!
The strong opioid painkiller, tramadol, is not that effective at easing chronic pain for which it’s widely prescribed, finds a pooled data analysis of the available research, published online in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.
And it likely increases the risk of
Read Article
Systematic review of obesity management meds - 56 RCTs (60,307 pts). All OMMs were better at total weight loss than PBO (P < 0.0001), >10% semaglutide & tirzepatide (both effective at NIDDM CHF). Semaglutide effective reducing pain in knee osteoarthritis https://t.co/nbdZfBDukE
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Recent Blogs
