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Fatigue, FM, fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgianess Influences Steroid Persistence

d Jack Cush, MD

"Fibromyalgianess" is highlighted as a risk factor for undue, extended glucocorticoid use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, according to Wallace and colleagues in Rheumatology.

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RheumNow Podcast – Psoriatic Arthritis Without Psoriasis (7.30.2021)

d Jack Cush, MD

How much psoriasis do you need to have in order to have psoriatic arthritis? This plus a review of rheumatology and COVID news from the past week on RheumNow.com.

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Shingles Risk with JAK Inhibitors and Other Biologics

d Jack Cush, MD

Registry data suggests an increased risk of herpes zoster (HZ, shingles) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking JAK inhibitors (JAKi) but also with other biologic DMARDs, compared to csDMARDs.

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No Cancer Risk with TNF Inhibitors in Rheumatoid Arthritis

d Jack Cush, MD

The ARTIS Study Group has published their analysis of (non-skin) cancer risk in rheumatoid arthritis, claiming the overall safety of biologic DMARDs and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs).

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RA, hands, MCP, deformity

Combo Methotrexate and Leflunomide Safety in RA

d Jack Cush, MD

Methotrexate and leflunomide (LEF) are the most widely prescribed DMARDs worldwide; yet biologic DMARDs are the newest and best selling agents for rheumatoid arthritis worldwide.

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Cardiovascular Prevention Lacking in Rheumatoid Arthritis

d Jack Cush, MD

An increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in rheumatoid arthritis is well known and feared but an RA cohort study suggests that preventive medication use in RA patients lags behind that seen in diabetes mellitus (DM).

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CDC Reverses Stance on Masks

d Jack Cush, MD

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that masks should be used by those vaccinated against the coronavirus in public indoor spaces in parts of the country where the virus is surging.

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hospital, ambulance, ER

US News & World Report Ranks Best Rheumatology Hospitals

d Jack Cush, MD

Medscape has published the annual U.S.

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Comparison of 1040 elderly-onset RA (EORA) and 710 non-EORA patients showed similar disease activity, DMARD choices, drug response rates and reasons for Rx discontinuation - There's no reason EORA shouldn't be treated as aggressive as all RA! https://t.co/P2gpPlJVZE

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ICYMI: Drugs capable of inducing drug-associated ANCA vasculitis - mirabegron (Myrbetriq), sofosbuvir (Sovaldi, antiviral), nintedanib (Ofev), hydralazine, propylthiouracil, thiamazole, minocycline, carbimazole, allopurinol, influenza vax.... https://t.co/KhK2w0IGAx

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Health personnel (HCP) @ long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are at high risk for COVID-19. March 2021, 57% of LTCF HCPs were vaccinated. COVID-19 vax was highest in MDs (75.1%); lowest nurses (56.7%) & aides (45.6%). https://t.co/VjHutcrh26

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The FDA has authorized baricitinib ALONE as treatment for COVID-19 hospitalized adults and pediatric patients requiring supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) https://t.co/WMc78GmOLU

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What predicts ILD progression in Systemic Sclerosis? Study of 138 SSc pts; 72% had ILD, 35% FVC decline (F/U 2.9y). Only Scl-70 A positivity predicted FVC decline at 5yrs. HRCT Esophageal dilation had nonsignificant DLCO decline, but not FVC https://t.co/fE0JCsZ44O

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ICYMI: EULAR guidelines rec starting prednisone dose in #PMR to be between 12.5-25mg/d. A cross sectional study of 138 pts (63M, 75F, age 73.4 yes) saw the mean starting dose to be 19.2±7.7 mg.  https://t.co/Yf3yqRRMCK

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ICYMI While myeloperoxidase (MPO) Abs are seen in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), only 7–23% develop vasculitis. Study of 58 pts w/ IPF & MPO Abs - UIP most frequent ILD pattern, 13 had rheumatic dz; MPO Abs did not change survival of UIP/IPF pts https://t.co/RXXIPUBMBT https://t.co/sJpbzIbBJt

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Big news! You can download/listen to the RheumNow podcast in more places than ever! Find us on Apple and Google podcasts, the PodBean app, Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn+Alexa, iHeart Radio, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro, Castbox, and Soundcloud! https://t.co/1WSUh06jjN
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Persistence of Sxs & Labs long after COVID. German study of 96 postCOVID pts followed 12 mos only 22% were Sx-free; Most had fatigue (53%), dyspnea (37%), concentration (40%), CNS (32%) & sleeping problems (26%), +ANA ≥1:160 in 44% https://t.co/L2ZzniDT18

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204 pts w/ dermatomyositis/polymyositis Rx w/ IV early pulse steroids(IVMP) or IVIG. IVMP & IVMP+IVIG was assoc w/ 56-58% incr odds of complete response. Pulse IVMP+IVIG incr risk of steroid D/C. Early IVMP/IVIG=no impact on mortality https://t.co/yRFJgos8Qq

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Bariatric surgery result in less pain med use. UK THIN database study of 588,494 pts: the 694 w/vbariatric surgery had a 23% increased odds of no analgesic use for ≥12 mos (HR=1.23) & all-cause mortality was also lower (HR=0.46) than controls https://t.co/b90AOE7lfg

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Claims data analysis of US Adult Medicaid patients shows and association between PTSD and increased risk of #SLE. 10K SLE compared to >100K controls. Prevalence of PTSD was significantly higher in SLE (10.74 vs 7.83 per 1000 (adj OR 2.0) https://t.co/p9F5iYENAu

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