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Can Biomarkers Improve Cardiovascular Risk Assessments in RA?
The TARGET (Treatments Against RA and Effect on FDG PET/CT) trial showed that different treatment strategies equally benefited arterial inflammation (by FDG-PET) in rheumatoid arthritis. A subsequent analysis of these patients showed several candidate biomarkers that may correlate with baseline and treatment‐associated changes in arterial inflammation in patients with RA.
Read ArticleImmunosuppression Increasing (2.23.2024)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past 2 weeks on RheumNow.com; but begins with a discussion of what constitutes "immunosuppression" and how it applies to our patients.
Read ArticleCD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy in Autoimmune Disease
The NEJM has published the results of CD19 B cell depletion (by CAR-T cell therapy) in autoimmune disease patients, demonstrating it to be feasible, safe, and efficacious.
Read ArticleCochrane Review: How Good is Ultrasound Diagnosing GCA?
Is temporal artery ultrasound equivalent or superior to the reference standard of temporal artery biopsy when diagnosing giant cell arteritis (GCA)?
Read ArticleCurbside Consults (2.16.2024)
Dr. Jack Cush answers audience clinical case questions sent by email or "ask Cush anything". Cases and questions from:
Read ArticleVITAL Info on Autoimmune Disease (2.9.2024)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. Highlights are summarized by three songs: "Stairway to Heaven", "You're No Good", and "How Long (has this been going on)".
Read ArticlePoly-Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis
Refractory of difficult to treat (D2T-RA) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) comprises a minority of patients that can be categorized by clinical and imaging parameters to formulate a better therapeutic approach.
Read ArticleInflammatory Arthritis in Systemic Sclerosis is Problematic
Inflammatory arthritis (IA) is a common manifestation in systemic sclerosis (SSc), affecting nearly one-third of patients.
Read ArticleDeterminants of Gout Flares
Approximately 12 million US adults in the US have gout. Two recent literature reports highlight contributors to gout flares.
Read ArticleLeaving Academia (2.2.24)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. This week we discuss hipsters undergoing hip replacement, pregnancy outcomes in RA and the future of academic clinicians.
Read ArticleSeXXist Reason for More Women with Autoimmune Disease
Somewhere between 24 and 50 million Americans have an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the immune system attacks our own tissues. As many as 4 out of 5 of those people are women.
Read ArticlePre-Treatment Testing with Biologics Falls Short
US commercial insurance claim analysis of laboratory screening and monitoring practices in chronic inflammatory skin disease (CISD) patients shows that < 60% received the recommended pretreatment testing when starting systemic immunomodulatory treatment.
Read ArticleHalf of Subclinical Synovitis Patients May Remit
Ultrasound subclinical synovitis is found in a third of individuals at risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients; in half of these, subclinical synovitis resolves with a favorable outcome.
Read ArticleAnti-Drug Antibodies and Biologic Drug Responses
A prospective cohort study suggests the presence of antidrug antibodies may be associated with bDMARDs nonresponse in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Should we be monitoring ADAbs (especially in nonresponders)?
Read ArticleSevere Hypocalcemia Risk with Denosumab and CKD Patients
On 1-19-2024, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Drug Safety Communication about the risk of severe hypocalcemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients taking denosumab for osteoporosis, with an accentuated risk in older women who are dialysis-dependent.
This report is an update to their November 2022 investigation, the results of a related study being recently reported in JAMA.