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

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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Bah Humbug Vitamin D (12.20.2024)

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

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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Best of 2024: Prescription Painkiller Misuse in Chronic Pain Patients

EurekAlert!

A new scientific review of 148 studies enrolling over 4.3 million adult chronic pain patients treated with prescription opioid painkillers has found that nearly one in ten patients experiences opioid dependence or opioid use disorder and nearly one in three shows symptoms of dependence and opioid use disorder.

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Abuse of the Safety-Net 340B Drug Programs

Jack Cush, MD

Dr. Madelaine Feldman has written an important commentary on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, a safety-net program that would allow vulnerable populations to receive expensive new therapies. But she points out that "this well-intentioned program has strayed from its original purpose", allowing certain hospitals and for-profit pharmacies to exploit the program.

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Biosimilars Do Impact Biologic Drug Costs

MedPage Today

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 barely dented Humira prescription rates.

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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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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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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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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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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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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/pqfmFGT0D6 https://t.co/zo0APuAcQS
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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/4TtnP5wGc4 https://t.co/RatBXPUk7a

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Boosts Risk for Some Types of Heart Failure Rates of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) were doubled in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) relative to other people of the same age and sex, researchers found.… https://t.co/t7GRp7c63x https://t.co/Ov6UwGlPko
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Japanese registry study of CV & CA outcomes in #RA. CV (MACE) events = IR 0.49/100 PY. Cancer= IR 0.78/100PY. MACE risk factors: Male, age≥65, HTN, Renal or cerebrovascular Dz; CA risk w/ Male, age, NSAID, COPD, SIE, CA Hx. https://t.co/uBFbho25La https://t.co/3ClEwCvdDY

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1st MTX use in 242 Italian pts w/ chronic inflam arthritis (54% RA, 33% PsA, 16% UA). Overall, survival of MTX at 24 months was 60%, (40% @48 mos, 20% @96 mos). MTX survival in RA & PsA equal, but superior to UA (undiff. arthritis) https://t.co/g4pZpVmTnM https://t.co/gcKWriqfhG

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Serum IL-40 increased in RA (vs OA, SLE, Controls) and correlates with some clinical characteristics. IL-40 did not correlated w/ Dz activity, but was pos. assoc. w/ RA autoAbs, coagulation-related indicators, and decreased with TNFIi Rx. https://t.co/leBPKbNpf5 https://t.co/fHU8lcS4eW

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Join us at RheumNow Live February 8 & 9 in Dallas, TX! Our incredible meeting will feature speakers like: Rheumatology Power Trio: Exploring RA Management in Older Adults, AI Innovations, and Multimorbidity Strategies Una Makris, MD, MSc Jeff Curtis, MD, MS, MPH Bryant… https://t.co/570WrI6RHT https://t.co/TTGtcNmWx7
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Predicting Flares in Rheumatoid Arthritis Dr. Jonathan Kay interviews Dr. John Isaacs about abstract 1349, presented at the 2024 ACR Convergence meeting in Washington, DC. https://t.co/pM1AgPiRla https://t.co/0hP5y1JgPq

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Are we under-monitoring in scleroderma ILD? Dr. Janet Pope discusses abstract 0678, Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease Due to Systemic Sclerosis or RA Need Monitoring More Frequently Than Annually, and abstract 0706, Single Center Prospective Cohort of Systemic Sclerosis… https://t.co/GJRWGxUnh3 https://t.co/vtCOXGe4H8
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