All News
RheumNow Podcast – When You’re Hot You’re Hot (10.11.19)
Dr. Jack Cush delivers select commentary on select news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Read Article
Long Delays for Inflammatory Arthritis Patients
The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society's (NRAS) annual audit has identified significant treatment delays for patients with suspected early inflammatory arthritis could result in unnecessary harm.
Read Article
Sprifermin Benefits Cartilage Loss but not Symptoms in Knee Osteoarthritis
Intra-articular sprifermin given to patients with symptomatic and radiographic knee osteoarthritis has been shown to significantly improve total femorotibial joint cartilage thickness after 2 years, but without significant clinical benefits. Which begs the question, why is there a disconnect between radiographic disease modification (cartilage thickness) and symptomatic improvement?
Read Article
Declining Trends in Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody–Associated Vasculitis Mortality in the USA
Annals of Internal Medicine reports that age-adjusted mortality rates for antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody–associated vasculitides (AAV) have improved over time - with a decline of nearly 2 percent per year in the United States from 1999 to 2017. Nevertheless, long-term outcomes continue to lag behind mortality rates of the general population.
Read Article
Bisphosphonates and the Risk of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw
Even though oral bisphosphonates are widely used, there is an inordinate concern over the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). A new UK study suggests that the risk of ONJ is elevated six fold by the use of biphosphonates.
Read Article
Biologics Lead the Way in Drug Price Increases
Reuters has reported the results of a recent Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) analysis showing that biologics, especially Humira and Rituxan, are leading the way in the cost of drugs in the USA.
All told, Humira and Rituxan topped a list of seven treatments whose combined 2017 and 2018 price hikes accounted for a $5.1 billion increase in U.S. drug spending. ICER said their analysis points to price hikes that were more than twice the rate of medical inflation and were not warranted by any new clinical evidence.
Serum Interferon Predicts Lupus Flares
Elevated serum levels of interferon-α among patients whose systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was in remission helped predict future disease flares, European researchers found.
Read Article
FUTURE 5 - Secukinumab and Less Radiographic Progression in Psoriatic Arthritis
The FUTURE 5 trial studied the effect of secukinumab (SEC) on radiographic progression through 52 weeks in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and found that SEC was clinically and radiographically superior to placebo (PBO).
Patients received s.c. secukinumab 300 mg load (300 mg), 150 mg load (150 mg), 150 mg no load regimens or placebo at baseline, at weeks 1, 2 and 3 and every 4 weeks starting at week 4. The majority (87%) of patients enrolled at baseline remained in the study for 52 weeks.
Antibiotics Increase Rheumatoid Risk - Again
Another UK study has suggested that prior use of antibiotics increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Read Article
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Note to Colleague: How can you possibly diagnose and treat ankylosing spondylitis in a patient with polyarthralgias, +B27 but nothing else (no enthesitis, Pso, IBD, Abnl Schobers and neg SI films)?? The diagnosis (poor sleep, tender points) was obvious. You know who you are
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Osteoarthritis Initiative studied 4344 knee OA looking at bulge sign (12.7%) & patellar tap (2%); 3.3% had both. Bulge sign increased risk of freq knee pain (OR 1.31) & TKR [OR 1.47); developing a bulge sign had incr risk of same & Xray worsening (OR 1.67) https://t.co/3HtBrkzAtk
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Links:
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Links:
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Mike Putman EBRheum ( View Tweet)
Links:
American College of Rheumatology ACRheum ( View Tweet)