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Teaching You How to Think… (8.15.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and press clippings from the past week on RheumNow. Positive results in a Sjogren's trial, to PT or not to PT, and  aphorisms to live by.

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The Patient Journey with Rheumatic Disease

Jack Cush, MD

Oton and colleagues have reviewed the "patient journey" - from symptoms to specialty referral in those diagnosed with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

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Inefficiencies of ANA Testing

Jack Cush, MD

The Journal of Rheumatology has published an analysis of antinuclear antibody (ANA) multiplex testing showing its nonspecific utility and poor rate of return in identifying ANA-associated autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARDs).

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Aging Quiets Lupus

EurekAlert!

UCSF researchers have found that epigentic changes in interferon genes over time may lead to lupus being less active as they age. Lupus is a “classic” autoimmune disease. It causes the immune system’s first-line viral defenses — known as interferons — to attack the body. Nearly every organ is at risk, leading to conditions like kidney and heart disease. But unlike many other autoimmune or chronic illnesses, lupus can improve as patients reach their 60s and 70s.

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A New RA Approval (8.1.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and a new treatment for RA from the FDA.

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HCQ Preserves Renal Function in Lupus Nephritis

MedPage Today

Lupus nephritis patients on long-term therapy with hydroxychloroquine showed significantly less decline in renal function, compared with patients treated otherwise, a 10-year retrospective study indicated.

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Practical management of rheumatic immune-related adverse events with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Jack Cush, MD

Joint Bone Spine has published a full read review of the management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients receiving Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for cancer.

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NHANES, Numbers, & Risk (7.18.2025)

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com along with interesting case questions from "Ask Cush Anything".

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1 in 5 Patients are Unaware of their Arthritis Diagnosis

Jack Cush, MD

Current CDC numbers suggest that arthritis (any type) affects an estimated 67.1 million (27.9% ) adults in the USA.  Interestingly, 1 in 5 do not know their arthritis subtype (21.6%, 14.4 million).

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Systematic review of 47 studies covering 1.5 million cases found that Dx of Crohns, SLE, Type I DM positively associated w/ incr risk of pancreatic, esophageal, colon, liver, and hepatobiliary cancers. MS assoc w/ lower risk of pancreatic, esophageal, rectal, & colorectal CA https://t.co/g0N5eHhJYj
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Prospective study 1,237 pregnant women (APS excluded) - finding LA-RVVT, anti-β2GPI IgG, predicted preeclampsia & intrauterine fetal death (IUFDR) and were were in identifying obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) https://t.co/5zKpR9NTcw https://t.co/6HXID7gtwR

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Aging Quiets Lupus UCSF researchers have found that epigentic changes in interferon genes over time may lead to lupus being less active as they age. https://t.co/MLBFLXnXOQ https://t.co/9aacdZPoED

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Study of 110 #SLE pts found 41% w/ osteoporosis, 35% of whom had Lupus nephritis (LN). SLE w/ lower BMD assoc w/ LN classes III & IV, U1-RNP Abs, high CRP, & longer Dz duration, also w/ higher age, HAQ, C3 levels. 86% were on glucocorticoids, mean age 48 yrs. https://t.co/dqutqbvnjB
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
HCQ Preserves Renal Function in Lupus Nephritis Lupus nephritis (LN) patients on long-term therapy with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) showed significantly less decline in renal function, compared with patients treated otherwise, a 10-year retrospective study indicated. https://t.co/YpJGpAysUQ
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
HCQ Preserves Renal Function in Lupus Nephritis Lupus nephritis (LN) patients on long-term therapy with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) showed significantly less decline in renal function, compared with patients treated otherwise, a 10-year retrospective study indicated. https://t.co/dB6G34c6Mw
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"FLAME" - machine learning model developed to predict SLE flares. Data from 28,433 SLE pts (2011-2022) looked at clinical & social determinants of health (SDoH) to predict 3 mo flare risk. AUROC = 0.67; SHAP analysis identified HA, OBS, & pyuria as predictors. Is this the https://t.co/6Eqqc9w2oV
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Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), as a potential biomarker -- computed as platelet count × neutrophil count/lymphocyte count. SII has been shown to be useful in RA, PsA, SpA, SLE and vasculitis, reflecting disease activity, drug responses & supplements ESR & CRP levels https://t.co/LuFaYbWiWN
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If severe refractory SLE is defined as SLEDAI-2K≥10 despite steroids & immunosuppressives; Cohort of 3,744 SLE - 14% (578) had srSLE. Median SLEDAI-2K = 12, & decreased to 6 at 6m & 12m> < 25% achieved LLDAS & only 1% attained GC-free remission @ 12 mos https://t.co/7tehA27gyT https://t.co/yef4wCpqNf

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Stroke in patients with SLE is associated with a poorer outcome than matched controls in terms of functional recovery, recurrence, and mortality - study of 40 SLE vs 120 controls w/ CVA https://t.co/spBT1u6bfj https://t.co/eVNYBogJWz

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Rheums! Question or case for Jack Cush? Record it here and we may feature it on an upcoming podcast. https://t.co/HsqM9xLNtP https://t.co/voONsOLeSK

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