Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) drive guidelines; guidelines drive clinical practice. Because updated guidelines lag trials by many years and dissemination of guidelines takes additional time, rheumatologists often practice “behind the data.” The 2024 ACR Guidelines for the Management of SLE Nephritis reaffirmed many of our typical practice patterns, including hydroxychloroquine for all, renin/angiotensin blockade, and favoring mycophenolate
Managing health conditions is rapidly evolving as patients increasingly turn to online resources for answers—over 65% search for health-related questions online. Our study analyzed Google search trends for rheumatic disease topics, offering a fascinating glimpse into how online search behavior can reveal patient needs and experiences. This approach, known as "infodemiology," tracks real-time Google Trends data to understand symptom- and
Sleep plays a critical role in regulating inflammation and overall health. In rheumatic diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), disrupted sleep is common and can exacerbate symptoms and disease progression. Experts Dr. Al Kim, Patty Katz, and Dr. Yvonne Lee emphasized the importance of addressing sleep disturbances in these conditions.
Although the last day of ACR Convergence 2024 was but a half day - it was chock full of gems, many coming from the late breaking abstracts presented today. As chosen by the RheumNow faculty, here are some highlight presentations you need to know about.

Adela Castro AdelaCastro222
9 months 2 weeks ago
ICYMI: Precision medicine in Ssc ILD? Yes!
-Watch and wait approach can cause irreversible lung damage.
-⬆️CRP: biomarker of response (predicts mortality)
-⬆️KL-6: biomarker of severity (predicts progression of fibrosis)
-FAPI-PET: can eval disease activity vs response to ttx.… https://t.co/bTepwrsuNN https://t.co/e6xjtuquka


Dr. John Cush RheumNow
9 months 2 weeks ago
Beyond the Needle: Redefining the Assessment of Lupus Nephritis
Lupus nephritis is one of the most silent and severe manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
https://t.co/fvGG0BZbOL
#ACR24 https://t.co/wPXQz9Vese


Dr. John Cush RheumNow
9 months 2 weeks ago
Cancer Survival in RA
Dr. Eric Dein interviews Joshua Hsieh about abstract 0474, Association Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Survival After Cancer: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis, presented at #ACR24.
https://t.co/2957Nq6Ajy https://t.co/3swVyigA3g


Dr. John Cush RheumNow
9 months 2 weeks ago
COVID Associated Immune Disease
Dr. Len Calabrese reports on a session he participated in discussing if Covid-19 is associated or causal for autoimmune disease. Reporting from #ACR24
https://t.co/vFdlf9XVzf https://t.co/JhpglNVIt7

Intervention in individuals predisposed to develop RA, with a holy grail of prevention of RA, has long been a hot topic. The 4-year results of the TREAT EARLIER study, presented at Tuesday’s oral abstract session, show that methotrexate appears to prevent the development of RA in high risk ACPA- patients.
Rheumatic diseases, such as axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), are marked by unpredictable disease flares that adversely impact quality of life and long-term outcomes. Advances in machine learning (ML) provide a promising avenue for predicting these flares, enabling proactive management and personalised interventions.