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Best of 2024: Pain Reduction with Methotrexate in Knee Osteoarthritis

d Jack Cush, MD

The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that oral, low dose, weekly methotrexate significantly reduced knee osteoarthritis pain, stiffness, and function in a randomized controlled trial.

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Best of 2024: Lung Cancer in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Interstitial Lung Disease

d Jack Cush, MD

A matched cohort study from the Veterans Health Administration shows that rheumatoid arthritis patients have a >50% increased risk of lung cancer, and a 3-fold higher risk of lung cancer in RA-interstitial lung disease (ILD).

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Best of 2024: Analgesic Prescribing in Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis

d Jack Cush, MD

A UK cross-sectional EHR clinical practice analysis between 2004 and 2020 shows that analgesic prescribing in inflammatory arthritis patients has declined, but still remains substantial, including opioid prescribing. Data was drawn from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum to evaluate analgesic prescription annual prevalence in patients with RA, PsA and axSpA and found that analgesic prescribing declined over time but remained common.

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Bah Humbug Vitamin D (12.20.2024)

d Jack Cush, MD

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

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Best of 2024: Diagnosing Seronegative Sjogren's Disease

d Jack Cush, MD

Sjögren disease (SjD) is highly prevalent, but diagnosis may be challenged if anti-SSA antibodies or a labial salivary gland biopsy are negative. A recent cohort analysis suggests a novel autoantibody profile has predictive value SSA negative SjD and also in those with a positive labial biopsy.

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Tocilizumab Efficacy in Giant Cell Arteritis Phenotypes A Spanish Collaborative Group study of Tocilizumab (TCZ) in Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) demonstrated high efficacy regardless of the different vascular phenotypes treated. https://t.co/8wvSy8555Z https://t.co/vaGt1AylBr

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Nailfold video-capillaroscopy (NVC) study of 76 dermatomyositis (DM) pts - 74% had anomalous NVC patterns (diminished density, abnl morphology). NVC abnl pts had more Raynaud's, and cluster 1 were more likely to develop ILD.https://t.co/AsZ9CU2TZU https://t.co/TP1TMqotqi

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41 "Rhupus" pts were compared to 160 SLE and 709 RA pts. Rhupus pts have a younger onset age than RA (P=0.032), but older than SLE (P=0.008). ~20% initially presented w/ SLE Sxs. Rhupus commonly has ILD, hyperglobulinemia & Lab abnormalities (61%), but seldom renal or CNS dz… https://t.co/m7VL6HHdUN https://t.co/i3knGVQYvj
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Metanalysis of 41 studies, & 5343 AAV pts showed 55% (2890) had infection; 36% w/ severe infxn. This included PJP, aspergillosis, candidiasis, HZ, CMV, etc. Pulmonary most common. Risk factors included older, ESRD, DM, smoking, Renal or lung involvement https://t.co/yHo5BNlbiL https://t.co/R2je32YYGy

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Palliative Care in Rheumatology Dr. Jiha Lee talks with Dr. Shannon Herndon about abstracts 0204 and 1064, presented at the 2024 ACR Convergence meeting in Washington, DC. https://t.co/fqx8wGLTqI https://t.co/5mwJx3ZN6u

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95 IBD pts had Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). While 6/95 (6.3%) developed IBD-arthritis (mean 11 mos), finding Sacroiliitison MRE did not increase this risk. IBD arthritis risk was linked to arthralgia (OR 84) & extraintestinal manifestations (OR 7.4)… https://t.co/NGWGKn75jG https://t.co/IqY6XHWqqy
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Biomarker Study of 171 synovial fluid samples (54 primary OA, 57 RA, 30 Crystal,30 septic arthritis) examined the cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) to IL-8 ratio and found it can differentiate primary OA and inflamm arthritis w/ sensitivity 87% and specificity 89%… https://t.co/UH77DFgAlJ https://t.co/MfXQcl0BhW
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Best of 2024: Prescription Painkiller Misuse in Chronic Pain Patients https://t.co/AyccRCuAHh https://t.co/RYuvDwHANo

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Abuse of the Safety-Net 340B Drug Programs Dr. Madelaine Feldman comments on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a safety-net initiative designed to provide costly therapies to vulnerable populations. She argues that the program has deviated from its original intent, with certain… https://t.co/5rIQHsIeAS https://t.co/rXwQPctHDf
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ICYMI: JAKi in inflammatory myositis? #ACR24 will showcase nearly 3000 abstracts. With the expanding use of JAK inhibitors, there will be some interesting presentations for off label use. There have been some uncontrolled data that tofacitinib reduced inflammatory myositis… https://t.co/8XOYOsDsD4 https://t.co/MF0EGO0BJz
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Tocilizumab Efficacy in Giant Cell Arteritis Phenotypes A Spanish Collaborative Group study of Tocilizumab (TCZ) in Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) demonstrated high efficacy regardless of the different vascular phenotypes treated. https://t.co/nwCU3qW4PT https://t.co/uhvFDrW5Zz

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Biosimilars Do Impact Biologic Drug Costs Introduction of biosimilars for the rheumatology drug adalimumab, whose original branded version Humira has long been a blockbuster, appears to have led to a dramatic drop in net spending for these products -- even though biosimilars… https://t.co/UoVMc3lSxR https://t.co/A8Sl9bzvla
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Natl Center for health statistics 11/24 report shows in 2023, 24% of adults had chronic pain (8.5% that limited life/work=high-impact chronic pain). Chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain both increased with age & decreasing urbanization. https://t.co/tMmgHVWnCf https://t.co/O3P4Vrmkei

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Rheumatic findings in sarcoidosis are found in 10–40% of pts and include bone lesions, acute arthritis, chronic arthritis, axial disease, dactylitis, and sarcoid myopathy, https://t.co/WsfmKUS2n5 https://t.co/3j8OHgw7AS

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Nailfold video-capillaroscopy (NVC) study of 76 dermatomyositis (DM) pts - 74% had anomalous NVC patterns (diminished density, abnl morphology). NVC abnl pts had more Raynaud's, and cluster 1 were more likely to develop ILD.https://t.co/OC7jNHdFMn https://t.co/cCCO70Xzoh

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