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Rheumatoid Arthritis Thrombotic Risk Influenced by DMARD Choice
RA patients have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) related to disease activity and inflammation, yet a large real-world study of older RA patients shows methotrexate to be associated with a 2-fold increased VTE risk (compared to hydroxychloroquine).
Read ArticleNew Hope for NonAlcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
The current issue of the NEJM has two articles on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD also called NASH - nonalcoholic steatohepatitis), one dealing with the prognoses, outcomes and mortality of NAFLD and another prospective and promising interventional trial in NASH patients.
Read ArticleHow Should Patients With Autoimmune Diseases Approach COVID Vaccination?
Healthcare is a personal and individualized relationship between a provider and patient. Each patient is treated according to their particular symptoms and personal health characteristics.
Read ArticleIncreased Preterm Birth Risk in Psoriatic Arthritis Pregnancies
Pregnancy outcomes may be affected by psoriatic arthritis or antirheumatic treatment; registry cohort study shows that preterm birth and cesarean delivery were mostly increased by antirheumatic treatment, especially biologics.
Read ArticleRheumNow Podcast – Rheumatologist Smoke-Enders (10.22.2021)
Today I have a few questions: Is tramadol really a weak narcotic? Should we really still be doing placebo-controlled trials? What are we going to do about our patients who are smokers? This and more, in this week's review of the news and journal articles.
Read ArticleSmoking Impairs Methotrexate Efficacy
The Journal of Rheumatology reports that current smoking significantly reduces the clinical efficacy of methotrexate (MTX)-based therapy, as studied in an early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort.
Read ArticleStevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Insights
Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are among the most severe drug reactions, as they come with substantial mortality and morbidity. A review of European centers dealing with SJS and TEN shows that despite best treatment practices, the 6-week mortality rate was 21%.
Read ArticleIs It OK to Continue TNF Inhibitors with COVID-19 Infection?
Registry level data of patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) diagnosed with COVID-19 should continue their TNF inhibitor (TNFi) therapy as such patients were less likely to experience adverse COVID-19 outcomes (compared to other immunomodulatory treatments).
Read ArticleNOBILITY: a Trial of Obinutuzumab in Proliferative Lupus Nephritis
B-cell depletion therapy with obinutuzumab, a type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, in lupus nephritis patients was shown to be effective in in combination with standard lupus therapies.
Read ArticleTICOSPA - Does Treat to Target Work in Spondyloarthritis?
Tight-control or treat-to-target (T2T) strategy is advocated in several diseases, but the recent TICOSPA trial in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) showed that T2T was not superior to usual care (UC).
Read ArticleAre You a High or Low Glucocorticoid Prescriber?
A recent analysis shows thta glucocorticoids (GCs), usually recommended for short-term use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are variably used by rheumatologists, and that provider preference is a strong predictors of long-term glucocorticoid use.
Read ArticleRheumNow Podcast – Quackademia (10.15.2021)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the FDA approvals, news and the latest journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Read Article2021 Update to EULAR Points on Immunomodulatory Use in COVID-19
EULAR has updated its recommendations (points to consider - PtC) for rheumatologists managing patients during COVID-19; now with 2 overarching principles and 12 PtC.
Read ArticleStill’s Disease Following COVID-19 Vaccination
Both systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and adult-onset Still’s disease are acquired autoinflammatory disorders of uncertain etiology. Yet recent reports of AOSD onset and flare following COVID-19 vaccinations may have important mechanistic implications.
Read ArticleCancer Risk in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Bernatsky and colleagues have shown cancer risk factors in incident systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Researchers analyzed an SLE cohort of 1,668 patients, over an average of 9 years follow-up and found 65 cancers: 15 breast; 10 nonmelanoma skin; 7 lung; 6 hematologic; 6 prostate; 5 melanoma; 3 cervical; 3 renal; 2 each gastric, head and neck, and thyroid; and, 1 each rectal, sarcoma, thymoma, and uterine cancers.
Abatacept After Ustekinumab Withdrawal in Active Plaque Psoriasis
A randomized controlled trial has shown that treatment of plaque psoriasis via costimulatory blockade ( CD28/B7) with abatacept did not prevent psoriasis relapse after withdrawal of ustekinumab.
Read ArticleHepatitis B Reactivation with Rituximab and Abatacept
Hepatitis B reactivation is an uncommon complication of biologic therapy use. Now, a serologic study of rheumatoid arthritis patients shows that HBV reactivation is seen with rituximab, and less so with abatacept, especially in patients without hepatitis B antibody (HBsAb) positiv
Read ArticleRETRO - Taper or Not: You Decide
A prospective, phase 3 trial of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in sustained remission has shown more than half will flare if disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) therapy is tapered or discontinued and that remission is best maintained by continued DMARD therapy.
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Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)


