Methotrexate Nodulosis (1.19.2024)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. How good (or not) are rheumatologists and what to do about MTX nodulosis?

Rheumatologists and the Early Diagnosis of Spondyloarthritis

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SPACE study of adults referred to rheumatology with less than 2 years of chronic back pain (CBP), shows that only one-third can be reliably diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Rituximab Efficacy in MAINRITSAN Long-Term Studies

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The original randomized controlled, prospective MAINRITSAN study of 115 patients (87 with granulomatosis with polyangiitis, 23 with microscopic polyangiitis, and 5 with renal-limited ANCA-associated vasculitis [AAV]) demonstrated superiority of rituximab (RTX) over azathioprine (AZA) for maintenance of remission at 22 months in ANCA-associated vasculitis patients after CYC remission induction.

CMS Final Rule on Prior Authorization Reforms

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Prior authorizations and paperwork are killing medical providers; the good news is that a new CMS rule may lessen the burden.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that they have finalized the CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule, designed to improve prior authorization processes and reduce burden on patients, providers, and payers, with a resultant $15 billion of estimated savings over ten years.

Fertility and Rheumatoid Onset

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British women whose capability of bearing children either started late or ended early -- naturally or otherwise -- were at increased risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared with women with earlier menarche or later menopause, researchers found.

Tic-Borne Disorders Causing Chronic Arthritis?

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Findings from a population based cross-sectional study suggests that while up to 20% of patients have antibodies to tick-borne exposures, only a minority reported musculoskeletal symptoms. 

2023 EULAR Non-pharmacological Management of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: 2023 update

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EULAR has published the 2023 updated recommendations for the optimal non-pharmacological management of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Sodium Channels, Carbemazepine and Osteoarthritis Progression

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A study published in Nature suggests that therapies affecting sodium channels could be employed to treat osteoarthritis.

SLE: A Mutated Gene and TLR7 Overexpression

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A group of researchers lead by Min Ae Lee-Kirsch from the Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Germany), studied four patients from two families who developed symptoms of SLE in the first years of life.

2023 Rheumatology Year in Review

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights, advances and hot topics in rheumatology from 2023 and the RheumNow website.  

2023 was a year of growth and new horizons while returning to operational and practice standards (in care and education) established before the pandemic.  

Increased CV Comorbidity in Dermatomyositis

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A cohort study suggest that patients with dermatomyositis (DM) are at an increased risk for multiple comorbidities, including chronic kidney and cardiovascular disease,

Drug-Induced Dermatomyositis

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A JAMA Dermatology systematic review of drug-induced dermatomyositis (DM) found the most commonly implicated agents include hydroxyurea, immune checkpoint inhibitors, statins and lipid-lowering agents, penicillamine, and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors.

2023 Rheumatology Year in Review

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Here is my top 10 list (in no particular order) of 2023 advances, game-changers, and developments that changed, or will soon change, rheumatologic practices.

Hormonal Status Increases RA Risk

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Early menopause—before the age of 45—taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and having 4 or more children are among several hormonal and reproductive factors linked to a heightened risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women, finds a large long term study published in the open access journal 

Black, Asian, and Hispanic Military Members with OA Treated Differently

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Black, Asian, and Hispanic members of the U.S. Armed Forces were far less likely than their white comrades to undergo knee replacement surgeries after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA), military researchers found.

Florida Approves Import of Drugs from Canada

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Last Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Florida’s plan to import certain prescription drugs directly from Canada.  Florida is the first time a state to undertake this pathway to save money.

Heritability of Osteoarthritis

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A Swedish study examine the genetic contribution to various rheumatic/musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) and showed that osteoarthritis (OA) had a large heritability compared with other RMDs.

New Year's Resolutions (1.5.2024)

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Dr. Jack Cush imparts his new New Year's Resolutions for 2024 and also reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.

Enthesitis, Synovitis, and Tenosynovitis in Psoriatic Arthritis

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An ultrasound study suggests that enthesitis is associated with both synovitis and tenosynovitis in patients with Psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Curcumin therapy for knee osteoarthritis

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Curcumin is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat arthritis and is presumed to have analgesic and antiinflammatory effects that may benefit those with osteoarthritis, particularly knee osteoarthritis (KOA).