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Multimorbidity predicts flares in rheumatoid arthritis

Jack Cush, MD

A study from Olmstead county and the Mayo Clinic shows that multimorbidity  and social factors predict higher rheumatoid arthritis (RA) flares and lower remission rates.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis ILD Complications

Scott Matson, MD

I'm a pulmonologist at the University of Kansas in Kansas City, and I'm excited to talk about one of my favorite topics: treatment complications in rheumatoid arthritis- associated interstitial lung disease or RA-ILD. One of the reasons I think this is a pressing and important topic is what we're dealing with here is a group of patients who have really poor outcomes, even with the significant advances that the rheumatology community's been able to make in the management of the underlying synovial disease.

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Methotrexate significantly lowers Systolic BP

Jack Cush, MD

Australian researchers have shown that methotrexate (MTX) has another secondary, beneficial effect by significantly lowering systolic blood pressure, and contributes to its well docuented cardioprotive effecs.

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Multi-omics, biomarkers, rheumatoid arthritis and pulmonary fibrosis

Jack Cush, MD

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease, and approximately 30%-40% of patients develop pulmonary complications such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but the causal relationship between the two has long been unclear.

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steroid prednisone lab

Higher Medical Costs with Corticosteroid Use

Jack Cush, MD

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) health insurance claims database study from Japan shows that RA patients initially treated with glucocorticoids (GCs) and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) experienced greater medical costs and healthcare utilization than patients not trea

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Lung Cancer in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Interstitial Lung Disease A matched cohort study from the Veterans Health Administration shows that RA patients have a >50% increased risk of lung cancer, a 3-fold higher risk of lung cancer in RA-ILD. https://t.co/Gjn2M2CNAO https://t.co/F231nz57NY

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SMART study from India finally published. RCT compare split-dose to single-dose oral MTX, in 253 RA pts. Split dose was superior w/ significantly higher EULAR good response at 16 weeks; & reduced need for 2nd DMARD, but had more intolerance and transaminitis. https://t.co/4jBxP2GPZM
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LTBI risk in rheumatic pts is high (22%). Metanalysis 18 studies, 12,167 rheum pts shows LTBI signif. incr w/ current smoking (OR 1.50), golimumab(OR 2.90), Chloroquine (OR 1.27), age >40 (OR 1.84), prior TB OR 3.26). LTBI not increased w/ RF, ADA, ETN, BCG, Pred, smoking, DM https://t.co/0PayHJqwDn
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Retrospective French Health Data System Immune Checkpt inhibitor (ICI) study. Of 172,363 ICI-Rx adult pts, ICI myotoxicities at 6 months ranged from 0.7% -0.9%. ICI myocarditis & myositis incidence was 0.3%- 0.6%, co-occurring in ∼13–23%. ICI myotoxicity- 1-mo fatality was https://t.co/kOGKM8lC0H
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ILD Begins (8.29.2025) Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from https://t.co/V10S4oVFsv. This week news on vaccines, safety of acetaminophen and more. https://t.co/YlOK3X4hkW https://t.co/9cgcDn0xab

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Retrospective Korean study of #RA & ILD pts (n 151) - ILD duration & UIP pattern significantly affected prognosis. 62% were non-smokers, DAS28=4.9, UIP in 60%. @4 years, ILD progressed in 58%; mortality=21%. MTX did not affect progression or mortality. https://t.co/1XNcWsAuea https://t.co/hsUWi27OtQ

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High unemployment in Dutch SLE patients, linked to SLE Sxs & Dz duration. Supervisor support helps with employment. https://t.co/E5jqmUHqo7
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J&J announced it has halted its combination biologic study in difficult to treat RA. Phase 2a DAISY proof-of-concept studied the combo of nipocalimab and TNFi in refractory RA, but 12 wk results failed to evidence of efficacy. https://t.co/T4n4GNqtVC v https://t.co/eSAwrEIYHc

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GLP-1 receptor agonists use assoc w/ lower risk of uveitis compared vs controls. EHR study 258 026 ea on GLP-1RA or not. GLP-1RAs exhibited roughly half the risk of developing uveitis. Protective effect greater than that of metformin & insulin but lower than SGLT2i https://t.co/w311b6swc3
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High cancer risk in myositis patients linked to autoantibodies- TIFF1g, NXP2, HMGCR. https://t.co/CECO78ESHi
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Anti-MDA5 DM is assoc w/ rapidly progr ILD & mortality risk. 26 MD5+ DM pts (age 56.6 yrs; 7/26 male) Sxs: Gottrón’s (81%), ILD (73%), periungual erythema (69%), heliotrope (61%), V-sign (42%), arthritis (42%), weakness (38%), mechanic’s (35%), Raynaud’s (19%). 7/19 RP-ILD died https://t.co/ugbmKlXsBp
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Long-term Lab Monitoring in RA is Inefficient Annals of Internal Medicine has published a retrospective study of long-term routine laboratory toxicity monitoring (lt-RLTM) in patients receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy showing that most very abnormal https://t.co/hytyH1qqED
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Wait! FDA approved the Chikungunya Virus Vaccine 2 yrs ago, but just pulled the vaccine, Ixchiq, citing serious safety concerns (specifically CBER reports of >20 serious adverse events, including 21 hospitalizations, 3 deaths, w/ 1 fatality directly linked to vaccine-derived https://t.co/aaC38VX7rF
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Recombinant zoster vaccine effective in #SLE without flare. Retrospective Medicare & commercial claims data on pts given 2 RZV doses, matched 1:4 to unVAX. 3592 pts F?u ~1.5 yrs. Vax effectiveness 70% in Medicare; 54% commercial. SLE flare rates HR 0.91& 0.94. https://t.co/WCBOQhb4Ad
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Osteoporosis in Older Men JAMA has publish an invited commentary on Screening for Osteoporosis (OP) in Older Men. They point out that a simple screening strategy for older men based on previous fracture history and bone density screening at age 70 or 75 years is a reasonable https://t.co/bpa4N4mdOp
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