All News

obesity.back_.jpg

Best of 2025: Targeting Obesity in Rheumatic Disease Patients

Jack Cush, MD

Sattar et al. has published an informative overview of the effect of obesity on rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). They estimate that nearly 70% of RMD patients are overweight or obese.

Read Article
VitD_1.jpg

Best of 2025: Vitamin D for Prevention of Disease

Jack Cush, MD

JAMA has published a clinical guideline on the use of vitamin D to prevent disease in children and adults.

Read Article
5 fractures

5 Fractures You Don’t Want to Miss

Jordan Lyons, MS, PA-C

In orthopedic practice, missing the wrong fracture can significantly alter a patient’s outcome. Certain injuries may appear subtle on initial imaging yet carry serious consequences if not promptly recognized and managed. Below are five fractures that warrant a high index of suspicion due to their risk of displacement, nonunion, or long‑term degenerative change.

Read Article
RheumNow Podcast square

Reefer Madness (12.12.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal and regulatory reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.  B cell drugs in SLE and ITP, biomarkers in GCA & PSS and great videos by APPs.

Read Article
Betsy Kirchner

Metabolic Bone Pearls

Elizabeth Kirchner, DNP

Betsy Kirchner, DNP, shares practical tips for managing metabolic bone disease, including the importance of VFA imaging to catch asymptomatic vertebral fractures and utilizing fracture liaison services to close care gaps. She highlights key pearls like the doubled fracture risk in RA patients, ACR's risk stratification for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, and a simple FRAX adjustment calculation that can improve treatment decisions.

Read Article
coccyx

Coccyx and Sacrococcygeal Joint Disorders

Jack Cush, MD

Pain from coccygeal or sacrococcygeal disorders is rare, often presenting as a diagnostic challenge. Coccygeal pain is often mistaken for lumbosacral, pelvic, or gastrointestinal disorders.

Read Article
RheumNow Podcast square

Vitamin D and Lupus Outcomes (11.21.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.

Read Article
DXA1.jpg (keep)

Why Brittle Bones Aren't Just a Woman's Problem

MedPage Today

Ronald Klein was biking around his neighborhood in North Wales, Pennsylvania, in 2006 and tried to jump a curb. "But I was going too slow -- I didn't have enough momentum," he recalled. As the bike toppled, he thrust out his left arm to break the fall. It didn't seem like a serious accident, yet "I couldn't get up," he said.

Read Article
Five Fractures You Don’t Want to Miss In orthopedic practice, missing the wrong fracture can significantly alter a patient’s outcome. Certain injuries may appear subtle on initial imaging yet carry serious consequences if not promptly recognized and managed. https://t.co/zyCRdUkMua
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Partial vs Total Knee Replacement: Is One Superior? Patients with osteoarthritis (OA) primarily affecting only one knee joint compartment did just as well with partial knee replacement (PKR) as with total arthroplasty after 10 years in a randomized trial -- and maybe a little https://t.co/KOZwedtnxo
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Study of 2280 dermatomyositis (DM) & polymyositis (PM) pts looked at short term (ST: <3 mos) vs long term (LT) steroid (GC) use. Vs ST, LT GC use assoc w/ higher risks of heart failure (adj OR 1.8), osteoporosis (1.9), all-cause & PM/DM-related admission (3.8) & higher costs https://t.co/Q9xt06yzew
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Colchicine prevents total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Study of 31,478 colchicine initiators, followed 4.5 yrs. W/ an overall 12% lower risk of TJA (HR 0.88 95% CI 0.81 to 0.96), and a 23% lower risk of TJA in those with knee/hip OA (HR 0.77) https://t.co/1JsZd8K0sI

Links:

Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)

25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels and Lupus Outcomes Lupus patients entering a prospective cohort study with low vitamin D levels faced doubled all-cause mortality risk and tripled risk for major cardiovascular events during follow-up averaging 6 years, researchers said. https://t.co/4nhACulIw0
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Mesothelin as a biomarker and potential therapeutic target in rheumatoid arthritis? Mesothelin is elevated in RA & animal models & promothes osteoclast differentiation & bony destruction. Blocking mesothelin has the potential to reduce bone destruction. https://t.co/WRXG91AqmJ https://t.co/hMgddPXhxG

Links:

Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Bone Density in Ankylosing Spondylitis At #ACR25, a retrospective study from China tackled this challenge using quantitative computed tomography (QCT), a more precise imaging modality that measures true volumetric bone density unaffected by cortical ossifications. https://t.co/1Z5cshkqjt
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
A 15-year-old girl has short stature and the hand finding shown . Labs show ↓Ca²⁺, ↑PO₄³⁻, ↑PTH. What is the most likely diagnosis? https://t.co/afPUeaqfZT

Links:

Dr. Nikhil Agrawal DrNikhilMD ( View Tweet)
#2660 In >8000 women, serum urate rose sharply during the menopausal transition, then plateaued after menopause. Hyperuricemia reached 4-5% post-menopause, up to 18% in obesity or low eGFR. Healthy body weight & kidney function pre-menopause may decrease HU later @RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/v6ai3lgAd2

Links:

Mrinalini Dey DrMiniDey ( View Tweet)
What exercise best for steroid-induced osteoporosis? Does it have to be weight bearing? Turns out anything helps - get out there and don’t let perfect be the enemy of good! Laura Coates in the #ACR25 meeting review @RheumNow https://t.co/VGH2rz3dzb

Links:

David Liew drdavidliew ( View Tweet)
#1727 360k+ postmenopausal women w osteoporosis: >1/3 untreated patients were at v high fracture risk, yet few received recommended anabolic or antiresorptive therapy. Even among treated women at very high risk, >50% were still on oral bisphosphonates @RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/9S66tAU68P

Links:

Mrinalini Dey DrMiniDey ( View Tweet)
Why Brittle Bones Aren't Just a Woman's Problem Osteoporosis is more common in women, prompting routine screenings for them at age 65. As a result, men might overlook getting a scan, which may not be suggested by an orthopedic specialist. However, about 20% of men over 50 will https://t.co/ggyse5ZDPV
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
How well do you know this week's rheumatology news?
Take the rheumIQ quiz
Take the RheumIQ Quiz

×