All News
Treatments Do Not Increase Infection Risk in Ankylosing Spondylitis
A large Canadian study of the drug use in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) demonstrated no evidence that the risk of serious, hospitalized infection was influenced by the use of DMARD and/or of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) therapy.
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Outcomes of Systemic Sclerosis Hospitalization
A study of inpatient systemic sclerosis (SSc) hospitalizations using the 2012–13 National Inpatient Sample database finds an inpatient mortality rate of 5%, and that infection was the most common cause of SSc hospitalizations and in-hospital death.
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The RheumNow Week in Review – We’re Number One! (8.17.18)
Dr. Cush reviews the articles and news from the last week on RheumNow.com. Information on comorbidities, the downside of steroids, unmet need in psoriatic arthritis, and the top 10 rheumatology programs.
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The RheumNow Week in Review – Cocoon Therapy? (7.20.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights from the news and social media on RheumNow.com in the past week.
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Defining Refractory RA by Biologic Use
A study from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register (BSRBR) has shown that biologic refractory disease is seen in at least 6% of patients who have ever received a biologic DMARD (bDMARDs).
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The RheumNow Week in Review – Life Savers for Rheumatologists (6.29.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews selected news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.
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EULAR 2018 - Day 3 Report
Day 3 highlights include Behcet’s responds to apremilast and that biologics do not differentially affect TKR/THR post-operative infection rates. Be sure to check out today's podcast as well.
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High Biologic Blood Levels Increases the Risk of Infections in RA
A big concern of most is the risk of infection with use of tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) and biologic drugs. While studied in both trials and in post-marketing studies, it is unknown if infection risk is dose-dependent.
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The Microbiome and Lupus Connection Reviewed
In the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Drs. James Rosenbaum and Gregg Silverstein review the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from the viewpoint of a dysbiolsis.
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The RheumNow Week in Review – Good News for GPA, CZP, Tofa but not ERA (6.1.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews this weeks reports from RheumNow.com, including the risk of autoimmunity with vaccination, early RA outcomes, new FDA approvals for certolizumab and tofacitinib and the risk of death from infection with biologics.
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Tick, Mosquite-Borne Diseases Triple Since 2004
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a new report showing that from 2004 to 2016, the number of Americans infected by mosquitoes, ticks or fleas tripled from 27,388 in 2004, to 96,075 in 2016.
From 2015 to 2016, these infections rose by 73 percent. This included new Zika and chikungunya virus infections, (41,680 in 2016), followed by Lyme disease (36,429 cases). This may be an underestimation as as many infections are not reported.
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FDA Review: Take Two for Baricitinib
FDA staff remain worried about the safety of baricitinib, an oral JAK inhibitor intended for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, according to briefing documents prepared for an advisory committee meeting on Monday.
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The RheumNow Week in Review – Vitamin D Snark Report (4.20.18)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. A second life for Syk kinase, Vitamin D talk, VTE, regulatory hearings and the Lupus clinic edge.
Read ArticleRheumNow Week in Review - Do you Dig Shingrix? (4.6.2018)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. Highlights includes manpower shortfalls, comorbidities in AA Lupus, certolizumab pregnancy safety, which Shingles vaccine is best and the power of combination biologics in severe refractory SLE.
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The RheumNow Week in Review -30 March 2018
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. News on drug regulatory decisions, fenofibrate and gout, Still's disease, TB and infection rates, SpA and hidradenitis suppurativa, and predicting methotrexate non-responders.
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2 Weeks Off Methotrexate OK for Flu Vaccine
Stopping methotrexate for 2 weeks after the administration of flu vaccine led to improved immunogenicity without increasing disease activity among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a prospective Korean study showed.
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The Consequences and Cure of Hepatitis C
I spent this past week seeing hepatitis C patients with our hepatologists, and being a rheumatologist, I was looking forward to seeing extra-hepatic manifestations of HCV that we read about in text-books - cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, sicca syndrome, porphyria cutanea tarda and many others. I suppose I should not be surprised that the week passed without seeing a single one of these.
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The RheumNow Week in Review - 16 March 2018
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the highlights from the news, journals and major meetings. Bigtime rheumatologic lessons with tales from intestinal crypts, the friendly skies & the hips of hockey players. Also the microbiome and lupus, benefits of ENT findings with GPA and rare risk of opportunistic infections with biologics.
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Opportunistic Infections in RA Rare with Biologics
The British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis has studied nearly 20,000 patients and observed that there is no substantially different risk of opportunistic infections between different biologics.
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Methotrexate May Help in Chronic Chikungunya Arthritis
Methotrexate may provide benefits in treatment of the chronic arthritis that can persist following acute chikungunya virus infection, but definitive evidence remains lacking, researchers reported.
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