Recent News
Dr. Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com; talking about lumbar belts, scholarships and misdiagnosis.Read Article
Efgartigimod Efficacy in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy
Today Argenx announced the results of their Phase 3 "ALKIVIA" study; demonstrating efficacy and safety of subcutaneous efgartigimod for Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (IIM, AKA inflammatory myositis). https://t.co/9tgAM8YVh1
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
SLE & Dermatomyositis rashes maybe classically red or violaceous in Whites,but different in people of color, where erythema often appears brown/violaceous, Gottron papules can be mistaken for "dry skin." This delays dx, especially in anti-MDA5+ RP-ILD, where rash may be the https://t.co/DIe2OJhZIc
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
In a claims analysis, 28.1% of patients with PsA had ≥1 predictor of IBD development at PsA diagnosis.
📊Which predictors had the highest association with future IBD?
Click to learn more: https://t.co/9c81Z7YsbA
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact. https://t.co/ytgcUfwyAZ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
In rheumatoid arthritis, which RA-specific factor is the strongest modifiable driver of venous thromboembolism risk?
Test your knowledge in this week's RheumIQ at https://t.co/TBlB4pmnKa. https://t.co/L69CPXWqfl
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Misdiagnosis of Still's Disease
High fever, strange rashes, scary labs often lead to a consideration of Still's disease (AOSD or systemic JIA). Yet the dramatic onset of a systemic disorder may overlap with another, and possibly as rare, systemic disorder that should not be https://t.co/mCbNBAt9T5
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Tune in for an expert conversation on the latest data from SELECT-SWITCH, including discussion about the EULAR 2026 post hoc analysis of primary and secondary TNFi nonresponders.
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact.
https://t.co/Fkdgk1T7qm https://t.co/W1jrlU3R5b
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Rheumatoid Arthritis
RA confers a 50–100% excess risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with the general population, with adjusted hazard/odds ratios ranging from 1.3–2.2 across large cohort studies (Vojinovic, Askling, Antovic; https://t.co/IsS6vqo6vU
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Latest #s: EHR estimates from 6 large US medical systems, estimated prevalence of autoimmune Dz (AID) to be >15 million (4.6% US population); 34% have > 1 AID. Women have 2x risk. Sex ratio of 1.7:1 F:M. https://t.co/tfSCpRqHbY https://t.co/VckjIoGOaa
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
A Tribute to Thomas A. Medsger Jr., MD (1936–2026)
The rheumatology and scleroderma communities mourn the loss of Dr. Thomas A. Medsger Jr., who died August 15, 2026, in Pittsburgh, at age 89.
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JAMA: Review of Shoulder Pain
JAMA Internal Medicine (Haas et al, 2026) has published a clinical overview to the approach, diagnosis and management of Shoulder Pain.
https://t.co/xYSahFksx9 https://t.co/kTIml2mD6k
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Joint Pain Prevalence is not Declining
A current report from the national NHIS survey shows that over half of US adults diagnosed with arthritis reported moderate to severe joint pain.
https://t.co/zq7pGaZO72 https://t.co/kvco72v5IZ
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
MASLD - Spanish review of 330 pts (101 psoriasis, 127 PsA, 102 controls) found metabolic-dysfunc-assoc steatotic liver Dz in 48% PsO, 32% PsA, 9% controls (p < 0.001). FibroScan tended higher in PsO 6.01 PsA 5.1 vs 4.9 controls https://t.co/wPxbLwVlOW https://t.co/ZtqYX5HPZa
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Childhood vs Adult onset SLE? Retro Australian Lupus Registry study of 519 SLE pts (68/13% w/ cSLE) found childhood onset had signif more damage (SDI≥1 53 vs 40%; renal Dz 62 vs 37%), more Dz activity, less LLDAS-50 (36% vs 51%) https://t.co/ttBRtSVl5n https://t.co/hoN1t16Za3
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
RHEUMATOLOGIST Survey Q> For Sjogrens disease, what therapy do you most commonly use? Click here: https://t.co/XJEsqoSlbn https://t.co/FvlOqwl2aD
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Systematic review of targeted Rx for lupus nephritis during pregnancy (2000-25). HCQ & AZA are cornerstone good Rx. Acceptable: tacrolimus, ASA. MMF is TERATOGENIC-AVOID! Not Enuf data; Voclosporin, obinutuzumab, Anifrolumab https://t.co/otO9nMHHuO https://t.co/1hLysZLJnG
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Nonrigid lumbar belts for nonspecific low back pain actually work! Multicenter French trial enrolled 168 nsLBP pts - belt group had better wk 12, lower pain scores andless need for back pain medication. https://t.co/zgRclsoAR8 https://t.co/9HVwuE1YLz
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Italian SPRING cohort of #SSc pts found only 5.3% (of 1689 pts) without the typical scleroderma pattern on nailfold change by NVC. They had milder dz, with less vascular dz (pitting scars 33 vs 48%), telangiectasias (52 vs 74%), calcinosis 3.4 vs 12%) & higher DLCOs at 12, 24, https://t.co/AoNAhVYfII
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Retrospective Medicare comparison 450 paired #PMR cohorts Rx w/ IL-6 inhib or csDMARDs. At 1 yr, IL-6i pts (vs csDMARD) had signif more GC D/C (adj HR 1.28) or minimal GC use (<3mg/d) (aHR 1.28). Hosp. infxn 2X higher in IL-6i (12.2 vs 5.7 per 100 PY) in year 1, but not year 2 https://t.co/YgqLjD9nvM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Prolonged exposure to targeted Rx in #SpA not assoc w/ increased cancer risk. French claims study 56,591 SpA pts- 1,224 CA (1,029 solid, 116 Heme). TNFi, IL17i, IL12/23i, IL23i, JAKi Exposure >6 vs ≤6 mos assoc w/ lower CA (HR 0.86; 0.75-0.99); signif for Heme (HR 0.65), not https://t.co/rHAa0CkAjT
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
From the Blog
At first, it seemed similar to many other such sessions – a circle of folding chairs, a group of colleagues whose visages exuded understanding and acceptance – but this was special. I started the meeting…. “Hi, my name is Artie.”
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Podcasts
Rheum Scholarship (8.21.2026)-
Doubting RS3PE (8.14.2026)
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Mentshlichkeit (8.7.2026)
A JAKi After TNFi Failure in RA: SELECT-SWITCH at Week 12
Therapeutic Updates
Make Rheum for Rads: Autoimmune ILD Diagnosis, Monitoring, and the Patient Experience
Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Drs. Elizabeth Volkmann and Robert Suh explore the roles rheumatologists and radiologists play in diagnosing and monitoring autoimmune ILD and hear from a patient about her experience.
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A JAKi After TNFi Failure in RA: SELECT-SWITCH at Week 12
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
Dr. Christina Charles-Schoeman and Dr. Manish Jain are back to discuss treatment considerations after TNFi failure in RA. Join them as they review the latest data from SELECT-SWITCH, including post hoc results in primary and secondary nonresponders presented at EULAR 2026.
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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
