Recent News
Do shoes make a difference in osteoarthritis (OA)? Common advice often suggests that stable supportive shoes can improve arthritis symptoms in the knee, but does this apply to hip osteoarthritis?Read Article
3 Months of Romosozumab in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
A report in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology suggested that 3 months of romosozumab (ROMO) followed by denosumab is as effective at increasing hip bone mineral density (BMD) as the standard 12-month course. https://t.co/6HfGFZqavF
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
July 2024 survey of 143 women (18-45 yrs) with rheumatic disease shows only 63% used effective contraception. In those previously pregnant, 33% experienced an unplanned pregnancy, highlighting contraceptive failure. https://t.co/tR6976vmJp https://t.co/1XRkQfWL5r
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Early vs Delayed Belimumab in Lupus
An economic evaluation of early vs delayed use of the Blys inhibitor, belimumab (BEL), in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has shown both cost-effectiveness and clinical utility of early BEL initiation in active lupus patients. https://t.co/m6NvAWbNjr
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Sonelokimab (SLK) is a nanobody that inhibits IL-17A & IL-17F. Press release from Moonlake shows SLK was effective in the phase 2, S-OLARIS study of 26 axial spondyloarthritis pts where 80+% of patients achieved ASAS40 by Week 12 https://t.co/BQjBcvESfe https://t.co/tXRKj8CPbz
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Nice simple overview of SCLERITIS. https://t.co/ndnfi6nZuA https://t.co/bzkOgupk7C
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Real-world study of 1202 #PsA pts shows that secukinumab retention rates were lower w/ smoking (79%/73%/72% in never/former/current smokers) but not w/ obesity (72%/77%/77% in normal/overweight/obese), Adh HR signif. higher w/ former (1.32) & current smokers (1.27) https://t.co/1REWmod73W
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Epidemiology of Dry Eye Autoimmune Disease
Dry eye rates upwards of 20% were seen across nine common autoimmune diseases other than Sjögren's, most often in rheumatoid arthritis (39.3%) with Crohn's disease bringing up the rear (23.0%), according to Chi-Chin Sun, MD, PhD, of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Keelung, Taiwan, and colleagues.
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Review of Calcinosis Cutis - Surgical intervent. most effective (excision, curettage, laser ablation, etc). Medical measures inconsistently, partially effective, best if used early & localized (CCB, TCN, probenecid, immunomodulation, biologics, colchicine, NA thiosulfate, & JAKi https://t.co/rv0hQBv6nX
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Referral Rules to Live By (2.20.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow. Highlights include referral rules, combination biologics in psoriasis, and don't use JAK inhibitors in pregnancy.
https://t.co/thzetw5jwa https://t.co/HTjWyqFqDZ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Diagnosing and Managing GCA and Takayasu’s Arteritis
Giant-cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu’s arteritis (TAK) are both large-vessel vasculitides, but each brings its own diagnostic and management challenges. Many of the difficulties overlap because they are rare, https://t.co/ePJqcMjcBA
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Peripheral manifestations are inconsistently assessed in axSpA trials. b/tsDMARDs have small-to-mod effects on peripheral Sxs & may be underestimated. Assessments in axSpA RCTs were low for periph arthritis 54%, enthesitis in 64% and dactylitis in only 10% of studies. https://t.co/cCNvU1oZMh
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Full read review & update on Rhabdomyolysis. 26K cases/Yr in USA. Muscle damage leading to weakness, myalgias, swelling, myoglobinuria, electrolyte probs, AKI. Causes: 1) exogenous toxins (46%); 2) trauma; 3) myopathies/metabolic muscle dz (10%), infxn. AKI in 46%, & death in https://t.co/E2LcLeMls0
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
3 Months of Romosozumab in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
A report in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology suggested that 3 months of romosozumab (ROMO) followed by denosumab is as effective at increasing hip bone mineral density (BMD) as the standard 12-month course.
Read Article
Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA)in systemic sclerosis? Retro study of 165 SSc pts (20% diffuse, 33% ILD, 7% PAH); 51% centromere AB+; 29% topoisomerase I+, 12% RNA polymerase III+)-- 22% AMA-positive: assoc w/ GI vascular dz(OR 13.3), gastric antral vascular ectasia (OR 8) & https://t.co/epMgfbj5uW
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Referrals - Orthopedics or Rheumatology?
A question, often asked with urgency, posed by those who genuinely don’t know who to see for a musculoskeletal (MSK) complaint. Inquiring patients, family, or other physicians may be one forum for such a request. Another occurs in the https://t.co/aIoSaSvdIk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Paradoxical Reactions, Target Selection & the Future of Imaging in Psoriatic Care
At RheumNow Live, Dr. Joseph Merola presented a compelling discussion on paradoxical immune reactions in psoriatic disease. He began with a case of a 60-year-old woman with mild psoriasis who, https://t.co/AVIOO42vfP
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
GLP-1s are known to improved knee OA. Using a mouse OA model w/ obesity, semaglutide yielded less pain, osteophytes & had strong chondroprotective effects, fia a wt loss-independent way. Changing from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation resulted in cartilage restoration. https://t.co/YySGDHX9KO
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
What did you miss at RheumNow Live 2026?
Our Poster Hall features new data across:
• Psoriatic Arthritis
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Lupus Nephritis
• Vasculitis
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica
• Axial Spondyloarthritis
From Phase III trials to real-world evidence, these https://t.co/tp0Uncga7E
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Prevention in Lupus and Therapeutic Evolution in Sjögren’s explores the proactive approach in autoimmune diseases, moving from theory to empirical evaluation. Recent discussions on incomplete lupus and the SMILE trial, along with advancements in Sjögren’s treatments, underscore https://t.co/KY9nHnpkxk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Video
From the Blog
Podcasts
Referral Rules to Live By (2.20.2026)-
Maui Potpourri (2.13.2026)
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ANA Pollution (2.06.2026)
DERM on RheumNow PODCAST (January 2026)
Therapeutic Updates
The Impact of Obesity on Psoriatic Arthritis
Sponsored by Lilly Medical Affairs
Image alt text: A person indoors raises one arm in a flexed pose while holding the elbow with the opposite hand.
Is obesity common in your patients with PsA? Learn more about the intersection of disease pathogenesis between PsA and obesity and how weight intervention can affect PsA outcomes.
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Poster Hall
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
