This week's Tuesday Nite Rheumatology featured Dr Jonathan Kay (U Mass) who gave an update on Biosimilars and took questions the subject. The program was moderated by Dr. Jack Cush.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has dominated the news in recent weeks, because of poor outcomes reported when used in COVID patients. Yet, a recent report reaffirms what rheumatologists have known for years - that HCQ use is associated with better outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus, including survival.  

A current letter in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease details the rheumatic disease patient cohort outcomes from the University of Siena, Italy showing only 2 cases of COVID-19 among 859 patients treated with tsDMARDs and bDMARDs.

This week's Tuesday Nite Rheumatology features presentations and interviews with Drs. Peter Nash and Philip Robinson. Dr. Robinson presents latest data on the Rheum-Covid.org Registry, that he helped establish under the Global Rheumatology Alliance. Dr. Nash presents the impact of COVID in Australia and pragmatic COVID management.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.

Modifiable lifestyle choices can impact long term health.  A recent study shows that usual and increased physical activity can results in less hospitalization amongst the the general population.

Hydroxychloroquine has been a dominant news item since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, with a great deal of misconceptions by those who don't know or use or take the drug. HCQ leaped to the headlines on March 19th when President Trump endorsed the drug as being “approved” by FDA. Of course at that time, it was still only approved for SLE, RA and malaria and it wasn't until 2 weeks later (March 31st) that the FDA issued an "emergency use authorization" allowing the use of either chloroquine or HCQ for treatment of severe, hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

To provide clarity and evidence - here are some of the facts you need to know.

The Annals of Rheumatic Disease has published the preliminary recommendations of the German Society of Rheumatology for the management of Inflammatory rheumatic diseases patients during the SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 pandemic.

These preliminary recommendations are based on an expert consensus from 17 experienced German rheumatologists.

Dr Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports, twitter feed and COVID developments from the past week on RheumNow.com

The FDA issued a new consumer update on what you need to know about Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds, Including CBD. This is part of the FDA effort to answer questions about the science, safety, and quality of products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds, particularly CBD.

Dr. Alvin Wells gives a primer on Telerheumatology and Telemedicine in the era of COVID-19. This 1 hour Grand Rounds Presentation includes a 30 minute lecture, followed by stimulating 30 minutes of Q&A with a rheumatology attendee audience.

Treatment options for painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) are numerous, but comparative outcomes are seldom available. A NEJM report shows that physical therapy is superior to intraarticular glucocorticoids injections assessing the outcomes 12 months after the intervention. 

On April 3rd, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK, published a rapid guideline for managing children and adults with rheumatological autoimmune, inflammatory and metabolic bone disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, while protecting staff from infection.

We indeed are living in interesting times and we all are seeking not to contract COVID-19 - this is logical. While our goal is to avoid infection, I think we all must agree that our aspirations must encompass more than disease avoidance. What we should be seeking now, as well, is more than absence of disease but rather a state of optimal wellness.

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news on COVID-19 and FDA actions this past week. Be sure to check out:

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and COVID developments from this past week.

In the midst of a global pandemic of the 2019 Novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (COVID-19), a small handful of Rheumatologists gathered on social media to collectively grapple with the impact of this virus on vulnerable populations with rheumatic disease.

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. After years of bemoaning the challenges of telemedicine, our rheumatology clinic transition entirely to a remote clinic in the space of a week.

Rheumatology reports on a study of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) showing worse outcomes and higher costs when hospitalized with GPA.