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SARD-ILD and serious infection risk: The elephant in the room
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains one of the largest unmet clinical needs across many systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD). Clinicians are already keenly aware of the complexity of patients with SARD-ILD. The “elephant in the room” for all these issues: serious infection.
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Equal Safety of JAK Inhibitors and TNF Inhibitors
JAMA has published a systematic review and meta-analysis of head-to-head studies showing there was no meaningful difference in safety events observed when taking either JAK inhibitor (JAKi) vs TNF antagonist (TNFi) therapies for the treatment of immune-mediated
QD Clinic: Beyond the Numbers in Newly Diagnosed ILD
Dr. Eric Dein, Summit, NJ, presents a case of a new patient with interstitial lung disease, as part of RheumNow's Rheum to Breathe: ILD campaign, presented throughout the month of September 2025.
https://t.co/HLnX5WbbTw https://t.co/SZeI4bqSAm
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
How to assess ILD in your patients?
Have a high index of suspicion in your patients with connective tissue disease (especially systemic sclerosis, inflammatory myositis), and rheumatoid arthritis. All patients with CTD may develop ILD but it is more common (% of patients with https://t.co/UXdvPJCqDi
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
August 29, 2025, FDA has terminated the Arthritis Advisory Committee, citing infrequent meetings & that the effort and expense of maintaining the committee “is no longer justified.”
The committee last met on 5/6/21 to review avacopan - that was subsequently approved. REALLY? https://t.co/w3Z6TszeWZ
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Nitazenes — a class of highly potent synthetic opioids — are rapidly emerging as a major contributor to the overdose crisis; they are over 20 times more potent than fentanyl. Nitazenes are an illegal Schedule I drug that are rapidly spreading in the illicit drug market
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Hitting the Target: T2T Therapy in SLE
Treat-to-target strategies are not a new concept in rheumatology. It has shown to improve patient outcomes and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis and is now being increasingly adopted not only in SLE research https://t.co/PfnG0AeJsH
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
RheumNow Podcast – Ro, Ro, Ro52 (9.12.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.Are there benefits to diet or vegan diets? What's the effect of menopause on CTD? Ro52 makes a big entrance with all our ILD coverage this month. https://t.co/T68Cprogm3
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
There is no criteria for infection-induced Antiphospholipid syndr (APS). aPL & aCL abs have been reported w/ COVID, HCV, HIV, EBV, varicella-zoster, & CMV. infections may induce transient aPL positivity without over APS, but may precipitate APS or catastrophic APS (CAPS).
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Definitions for Interstitial Lung Disease: A Consensusfrom the Fleischner Society https://t.co/gEqmkdJLDh https://t.co/8nnWKbKjk9
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Call to Update the Classification Criteria in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IMM), Why?
- EULAR/ACR myositis criteria dont cover specific myositis subtypes
- Polymyositis is rare
- antisynthetase & necrotizing myopathy & Jo1 Dz not well represented
- Need to include MSA, https://t.co/LUfF0VCeJ7
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
My article 👇 summarizing
the 2025 update of EULAR recommendations by @eular_org, presented by Josef Smolen at @APLAR_org
https://t.co/QFWZmqm6IR
@RheumNow #APLAR25 https://t.co/ctQdu8gQEO
Links:
Aurelie Najm AurelieRheumo ( View Tweet)
GCs have potent anti-inflammatory effects but it’s long term complications can be catastrophic.
In SLE pts, it shows a 3-fold increased risk of organ damage for each addtl 1mg of Pred/day.
📌Aim for short duration of use with lowest effective dose
@RheumNow #APLAR25 https://t.co/UugrcX073Z
Links:
sheila RHEUMarampa ( View Tweet)
A self learning program to train non Rheumatologists to interpret pelvic X-rays and identify sacro-iliitis?
It works, but it seems the participants were already well trained as pre test scores were already reaching 60+%
Surprised to see radiologists constituting 1/4 of the test https://t.co/mRcFRSuAws
Aurelie Najm AurelieRheumo ( View Tweet)
PsO/PsA patients have an ⬆️ CV risk brought about by traditional and CV risk factors.
Do you perform regular CV risk screening in your patients?
@RheumNow #APLAR25 https://t.co/BGNKrKeLsI
sheila RHEUMarampa ( View Tweet)
IL-17is demonstrate efficacy in SpA tx
Comparable with TNFis & JAKis in terms of achieving ASAS40 response rates
IL-17is are generally well-tolerated w/⬇️TB risk (very important tx consideration esp in Asia)
But watch out for candidal infx, IBD exacerbation
@RheumNow #APLAR25 https://t.co/rSUJlZOhKV
Links:
sheila RHEUMarampa ( View Tweet)
Evidence of immune ageing detected at the earliest stages of RA. Study of 69 controls, 32 CSA, 44 undiff. arthritis (UA), 23 early RA, & 56 DMARD naive RA. UA & CSA had reduced naive CD4 T cells. Th17, Tregs &7 senescent T cells, were only seen once RA was established. https://t.co/c1wiA5gvM5
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Target trial emulation looked at CV (MACE) events in 18,120 propensity score–matched adults with gout starting allopurinol who were given NSAIDs or colchicine for prophylaxis. MACE & CV death were signif. higher w/ NSAIDs vs Colchicine (HRs of 1.56 and 2.50), respectively. https://t.co/0T8slmPBng
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) reports that ear acupuncture applied during hip replacement surgery reduces pain and lessens opioid use over the weeks to follow. https://t.co/lOrwb1DzW5 https://t.co/6rkHNTwaAl
Dr. John Cush RheumNow ( View Tweet)
