All News
RheumNow Podcast – Upadacitinib FDA Approved for RA (8.23.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reports on the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com, including: how your genetics may shape your microbiome; GERD as a risk factor for TMJ?; how can MDA-5+ dermatomyositis be any worse; new drug happenings; StillsNow.com; and more.
Read ArticleGood Pregnancy Outcomes for DMARD Exposed JIA Patients
A study of pregnancy outcomes in 98 women with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who were exposed to DMARDs shows no increased risk of major adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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RheumNow Podcast – Boiling Hot MAS (7.12.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews this week's news and journal reports featured on RheumNow.com. PsA v. non-PsA pregnancies, Still's disease, lupus, nutritional supplements and dietary interventions, use of cannabis, tanezumab in OA, CBD oils and more.
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Pregnancy Outcomes Improve in Lupus
Pregnancy for patients with lupus has long been considered high risk and associated with both medical and obstetric complications, but outcomes have improved over the last 2 decades and continue to improve. The large decline in in-hospital maternal mortality was greater for lupus pregnancies than for non-lupus pregnancies. Findings from a retrospective cohort study are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Predictors of Serious Infections with Rituximab
The risk of serious infectious events (SIE) with rituximab (RTX) is similar to that seen in other biologics (e.g., RA: 2% or 4.3/100PY), but with prolonged use the risk may change. Recent research says that low IgG levels, RTX induced neutropenia, prior SIE and comorbidities can significantly augment this risk.
A retrospective longitudinal single center study of 700 rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) treated monitored serum immunoglobulins (at baseline and 4–6 months after each cycle), clinical outcomes and SIE over time.
RheumNow Podcast – Richer or Poorer (5.17.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
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Nonadherence is Costly for Patients in Pain
A comparative cohort study of patients with osteoarthritis (OA), gout, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN), post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), and fibromyalgia (FM) shows that nonadherence to pain medications is high and leads to greater overall health care resource utilization and costs.
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RheumNow Podcast – Take it Back Jack! (4.26.19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
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An Autoimmune Diagnosis Alters Perceptions of Pregnancy and Lactation
A study from UT Southwestern and the Baylor Research Institute examined the preceptions and practices of women with autoimmune or inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRD) noting that an AIRD diagnosis changed most womens future hopes and plans regarding pregnancy and lactation.
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RheumNow Podcast - MTX vs. Etanercept in Psoriatic Arthritis (2.15.19)
Dr. Jack Cush discusses the news from the past week on RheumNow.com - including the SEAM trial, MRI guided T2T, biologics and infection, contraceptive use, ANA negative lupus, etc.
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Ten Contemporary Challenges Facing Lupus Treatment
A group of French researchers have pooled their interests to identify the challenges ahead in the management of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
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RheumNow Podcast - Scurvy and Mechanics (2-1-19)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews new journal articles, news reports, and more from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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Update on Pregnancy Management in RA
Two recent reports offer good news to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) women who are planning to become pregnant.
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Low IBD Risk with Secukinumab
The interleukin-23 (IL-23)/IL-17 axis plays an important role in inflammation and infection. Some of these chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorders include PsO, PsA, AS, and IBD. Patients with PsO, PsA, and AS have up to a four-fold risk of developing IBD versus the general population.
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Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty Shown to Be Ineffective
There are approximately 750,000 new vertebral compression fractures each year in the United States, with resultant acute and chronic back pain in over one‐third of patients with vertebral fractures (VF). Both percutaneous vertebroplasty or balloon kyphoplasty have been advocated as useful m
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Obesity Needs to be Treated in Psoriatic Arthritis
Obese patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who followed a short-term, very low-energy diet showed improvements in multiple aspects of disease activity, a prospective study found.
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Best of 2018: The Safety of Paternal Exposure to DMARDs and Biologics
Pregnancy and drug safety is a complex issue, often with limited information about maternal drug exposure on the offspring. Greater uncertainty exists when considering whether paternal exposure may also influence fetal outcomes.
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Best of 2018: Hydroxychloroquine Being Over-Dosed with New Guidelines?
Hydroxychloroquine retinopathy prevention guidelines have revised from ideal body weight-based dosing to actual body weight-based dosing; the question remains whether these have been adopted in clinical practice.
A database of nearly 21,000 new HCQ users from a UK general population database studied HCQ dosing and use between 2007 and 2016. Specifically they examined whether users were subjected to excess HCQ dosing per ophthalmology guidelines (defined by exceeding 6.5 mg/kg of IBW and 5.0 mg/kg of ABW).
Psoriatic Arthritis Does Not Add to Pregnancy Problems
When psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients become pregnant, they do not have more infertility or adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to healthy controls.
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Filgotinib in Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis
Another, new Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor is out with impressive data - this time its filgotinib, demonstrating its efficacy and safety two separate clinical trials of patients with psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis.
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