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A Review of Hydroxychloroquine Ocular Toxicity

While hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is thought to be a very safe drug, its ocular risk profile is probably more serious than appreciated. A comprehensive review published in the Journal of Rheumatology discusses HCQ pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of retinal toxicity, risk stratification, and evidence-based screening protocols and how the drug can be used and monitored.

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A Patient’s Plea for a New Paradigm in Autoimmune Disease A current article in Nature Reviews Rheumatology has a patient boldly asking why we rheumatologists aren't more like her oncologists? https://t.co/fJMwR864HW https://t.co/a6CJPpo4yq
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
Breaking the Rules: Dual-Advanced Combinations in Rheumatology For decades, the standard of care in rheumatology has been combination therapy - pairing methotrexate (MTX) with an advanced biologic or synthetic agent to achieve optimal outcomes. https://t.co/4lyYTTwJUU https://t.co/sYpYbCjlzm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
An IL-23i through ~5 years: How did clinical manifestations of PsA and radiographic progression change during long-term treatment? 🔥View the latest long-term data from ACR to find out more. Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact. https://t.co/yhJFEdO4xD https://t.co/gkWD1raMaT
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
American Nurses Assoc. response to Dept of Education’s Final Rule on Graduate Loans for nurses: "..profoundly dismayed by DoE exclusion of nursing from....“professional degree” programs... this ignores the voices of over 245,000 nurses and nurse advocates https://t.co/WEYdiO9x4n https://t.co/3wxOwDBHVg
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
4/30/26 US Dept of Education finalized is rule on Grad loans "Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE)" that will markedly cut Federal Grad loans for nurses, nurse practitioner (NP) and physician associate (PA) training. https://t.co/kdm0ZLZfnL https://t.co/OGr3BEYga7
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
Metabolic Syndrome Predicts Cardiovascular Outcomes in Inflammatory Arthritis In this prospective observational study 811 CIA patients analyze outcomes in patients with and without MetS, including cardiovascular death/hospitalization and all-cause death/hospitalization. https://t.co/WT3wTpeGPi
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)

Review of Toll-like Receptor Research

EurekAlert!

A new review on Toll-like receptors (TLRs) systematically summarizes forty years of discoveries in the TLR field, from the initial identification of Toll in Drosophila embryonic development to the current understanding of multilayered regulatory mechanisms that govern TLR signaling.

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Nurses - the calm through chaos

Gloria was the charge nurse on 3 West when a “code” was called. Action, running, and commotion ensues as the crash cart, nurses, and respiratory therapist appear at the bedside. Two residents emerge as the patient is hooked up to the monitor. While everyone assumes their position and role, Gloria ensures the protocol and steers the people, pumping, intubating, monitoring and medicating. 

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More Comorbidity in Difficult-to-Treat RA A systematic review demonstrated that smoking, obesity, fibromyalgia, and depression are significantly associated with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T-RA). https://t.co/guMm6mqJGr https://t.co/xiykw5tBlJ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
STEP Talk: Mitigating Surgical Risk with Dr. Susan Goodman Surgery is high stakes for rheum patients. Dr. Susan Goodman shares how to mitigate perioperative risk and optimize outcomes at #RheumNowLive 2026. Smart prep = better recovery. https://t.co/AM1N3SimiY #Rheumatology https://t.co/wk99ytXZKl
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
Global trends in systemic sclerosis (SSc) mortality. Betw 2001-23, in 74 countries, 85,291 SSc deaths (79% females). While SSc-Crude mortality increased from 1.97 (2001) to 2.34 (2023), the age-standardized mortality decreased from 1.58 to 1.29. declining in Americas & Europe. https://t.co/lvHbF5HLPY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
Full read review of Preclinical Rheumatoid Arthritis: - Mucosal Origin Hypothesis - Gut Microbiota - Smoking & environment - Periodontitis - Immunosenescence - T cell abnormalities - Drug prevention https://t.co/UgqNBnKLMT https://t.co/2YZEiRCKNi
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
HLA-B27 in PsA: assoc w/ earlier onset, axial Dz, enthesitis, systemic inflammation. Study of 333 CASPAR PsA pts - 12% HLA-B27 positive--earlier onset (43 v 49), axial (46 v 24%), enthesitis (33 v 18%). No signif differences in sex, dactylitis, uveitis, Rx responses, https://t.co/ALP6AnygSf
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
Rheumatoid Factor as a Potential Marker of Cardiometabolic and Hepatic Risk. RF has been assoc w/ ASHD, MI, CAD, ischemic stroke, obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome -- all mediated via downstream inflammation. https://t.co/gQvqMJmyPw https://t.co/TmoodnuJTe
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)

A Patient’s Plea for a New Paradigm in Autoimmune Disease

A current article in Nature Reviews Rheumatology has a patient boldly asking why we rheumatologists aren't more like her oncologists?

Read Article

Breaking the Rules: Dual-Advanced Combinations in Rheumatology

For decades, the standard of care in rheumatology has been combination therapy - pairing methotrexate (MTX) with an advanced biologic or synthetic agent to achieve optimal outcomes. 

Read Article
24 systemic amyloidosis pts (AA type 46%, AL 29%); 62% joint pain & AM stiff, axial 37.5%, macroglossia (4 pts, 17%), carpal tunnel (12%), proteinuria > 1 gm 50%, CKD 21%, Cardiac amyloid 29%. Amyloid was secondary to Rheum Dx in 11/24. Better survival w/ AA than AL (91% vs https://t.co/pAEqYJIKaw
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
Taiwan, real-world study 267 RA new DMARD starts w/ tofacitinib (145) or TNFi (122). Post adjustments; no significant difference in Efficacy, AEs, Serious AE (20 v 21%), MACE (0 v 0.8%), CA (2% vs 0.8%), deaths (1.4% vs 3.3), SIE (13% vs 8.2%) or H zoster (12% v 3%) https://t.co/XLsdfKyeGx
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow (  View Tweet)
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