Recent News
When Ms. RS came into my clinic for a new patient evaluation, she was suffering from highly active skin disease, joint swelling, pain and poor mobility. Her body mass index was 46, indicating class III obesity. A treatment plan focused solely on her inflammatory disease without addressing her weight would not fully address her overall disease burden.Read Article
Scleroderma-Specific Autoantibodies in Early Systemic Sclerosis
Prognostication is tenous in early scleroderma, especially in those with dcSSc. dcSSc has associated with substantial morbidity and disease-specific mortality. Analysis of an early SSc registry shows that anti-RNA https://t.co/Qvu2vSShcg
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Obesity and Psoriatic Disease
Obesity is a clinically important comorbidity in psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Excess adiposity contributes to systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic risk and may adversely affect disease severity and response to some systemic https://t.co/WVIqfq8vEj
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Gabapentin Use Rose as Restrictions Fell, Study Shows
Gabapentin use jumped quickly in Michigan after the drug was removed from the state's controlled substance schedule in 2024, a cross-sectional study showed.
https://t.co/xQ9MHqnNxB https://t.co/ipOWS4K61U
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Retrospective review of 33 referred pts w/ Recurrent fever w/ MSK & skin Sxs, assessed by NGS. NLRP1 had FMF-like Dz; NLRP recurrent fevers w/ mucocutaneous; NLRP12 periodic fevers w/ MP/EN rash; NLRC4 episodic systemic inflammation GI Sxs & atypical skin rash https://t.co/Ll2V0Uzfio
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FDA has approved baricitinib (Olumiant) for the treatment of pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with severe alopecia areata https://t.co/OTXXQvNruw https://t.co/xrg5ocWyjo
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Prescribing New GLP-1-Based Therapies
https://t.co/cpxyxBMZ8s https://t.co/yV8Jvkh2sk
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Rheum Survey: Beyond weight loss, How will GLP-1 drugs benefit rheumatic pts?
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🚨 Registration opens October 1!
RheumNow Live 2027 returns January 30–31 for our 9th Annual CME Meeting.
📍 Dallas + Online
📅 January 30–31, 2027
🎓 High-impact CME. Expert faculty. Real-world rheumatology.
The rheumatology meeting that sets the tone for the year ahead. https://t.co/1u27pab4Ee
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Amgen announced topline results from the Phase 3 OASIZ 301 study evaluating dazodalibep (CD40L antagonist fusion protein) in adult Sjögren's dz w/ positive ESSDAI results at wk 48 https://t.co/hBKIdOE9aR https://t.co/y3tXp5xwgC
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Systematic review 14 studies assessed Lung ultrasound (LUS) (vs HRCT) to detect RA-ILD (using threshold of ≥ 5 B-lines) found sensitivity was 86.8% (95% CI 80.1–91.4), specificity 75.4% (95% CI 62.3–85.1), and AUC 0.890 https://t.co/GlNpsPBwtS https://t.co/I4mITEqBI6
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Study of 119 Rheum pts on GLP-1 Rx (65% T2DM, 35% obesity; mean BMI 35). @ 12 mos wt loss −7.7 kg & 56% improved ≥1 BMI category. Signif decr in A1c, FBS, lipids, LDL, TG, ESR & CRP. GLP-1RAs useful cardiometabolic benefits https://t.co/fdNtvGu8Vb~ https://t.co/vM3Ukr9XUF
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
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. Here is a review of the guidelines, including five key takeaways for rheumatologists.
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Do You Have to be Overweight for GLP-1s to Work?
https://t.co/7IsksT3x45 https://t.co/DaF2Dgt5Xm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
TNR: Obesity Treatment & Safety
https://t.co/IG3dKVWV8e https://t.co/oO1bFQa8wy
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Endocrine Society - State of Obesity Science and Management
The Endocrine Society has published a scientific statement reframing obesity as a heterogeneous, chronically dysregulated fat-mass disorder, whose biology is being effectively tested by GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists. Is https://t.co/FHHTNcp9gL
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Lifestyle and Incretin Therapy Advice for Rheumatologists
As GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists become standard co-management tools for obese patients with RA, PsA, axSpA, and gout, this JAMA Insights perspective reframes lifestyle counseling as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy - a https://t.co/ltPdGEgQ60
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FDA FAERS pharmacovigilance study of MSK serious adverse reports w/ GLP-1 RAs - Muscle atrophy showed the strongest AE, w/ less freq reports of back pain, muscle spasms, neck pain. https://t.co/4xRH6yWH1o https://t.co/MKCKtkFd1u
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2024 death rates from unintentional falls among adults≥65 yrs were 74.8/100K for men (66.6 women) Rates were higher for men > women. Fall death rates incr w/ age: highest ≥85 years. https://t.co/b4RwFHbZKj https://t.co/8m9mGUewYu
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Rheum Survey: Beyond weight loss, How will GLP-1 drugs benefit rheumatic pts?
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Video
From the Blog
When it rains it pours, but when it comes to grief, it’s like the rains that just won't let up.
Just too many deaths this past month. All devastating, all my immediate sphere. All hard to fathom. How can something so inevitable be a recurring, unwelcome, unsolvable bad dream?
I lost my father when I was 15, my sister was 20 and my mother when I was in medical school. And I've done this many, many times since.
Podcasts
The Four Pillars of Weight Loss Part 3
Rheumatology Pay Up (9.25.2026)
Obesity QD Clinics Part Three
Obesity Treatment & Safety
Therapeutic Updates
The Four Pillars of Weight Loss
RheumNow
Watch our 'Four Pillars of Weight Loss' 6-part series as part of this month's The Obesity Imperative campaign.
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Label update: Structural damage progression in active PsA
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Medical Affairs
Listen to Dr. Catherine Bakewell’s review of clinical data from a recent label update.
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Poster Hall
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
Real-World Joint Outcomes With an IL-23i vs TNFi or IL-17i in PsA
Daily Gem
Anti-inflammatory diets complement DMARDs. Whole-food Mediterranean eating patterns help downregulate systemic inflammatory cascades.
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