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Dr. Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com; talking about lumbar belts, scholarships and misdiagnosis.
JAMA: Review of Shoulder Pain

JAMA Internal Medicine (Haas et al, 2026) has published a clinical overview to the appro

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
JAMA: Review of Shoulder Pain JAMA Internal Medicine (Haas et al, 2026) has published a clinical overview to the approach, diagnosis and management of Shoulder Pain. https://t.co/xYSahFksx9 https://t.co/kTIml2mD6k
The rheumatology and scleroderma communities mourn the loss of Dr. Thomas A. Medsger Jr., who died August 15, 2026, in Pittsburgh, at age 89.
Joint Pain Prevalence is not Declining

A current report from the national NHIS survey shows that over half of US adult

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
Joint Pain Prevalence is not Declining A current report from the national NHIS survey shows that over half of US adults diagnosed with arthritis reported moderate to severe joint pain. https://t.co/zq7pGaZO72 https://t.co/kvco72v5IZ
MASLD - Spanish review of 330 pts (101 psoriasis, 127 PsA, 102 controls) found metabolic-dysfunc-assoc steatotic liver D

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
MASLD - Spanish review of 330 pts (101 psoriasis, 127 PsA, 102 controls) found metabolic-dysfunc-assoc steatotic liver Dz in 48% PsO, 32% PsA, 9% controls (p < 0.001). FibroScan tended higher in PsO 6.01 PsA 5.1 vs 4.9 controls https://t.co/wPxbLwVlOW https://t.co/ZtqYX5HPZa
Childhood vs Adult onset SLE? Retro Australian Lupus Registry study of 519 SLE pts (68/13% w/ cSLE) found childhood onse

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
Childhood vs Adult onset SLE? Retro Australian Lupus Registry study of 519 SLE pts (68/13% w/ cSLE) found childhood onset had signif more damage (SDI≥1 53 vs 40%; renal Dz 62 vs 37%), more Dz activity, less LLDAS-50 (36% vs 51%) https://t.co/ttBRtSVl5n https://t.co/hoN1t16Za3
Systematic review of targeted Rx for lupus nephritis during pregnancy (2000-25). HCQ & AZA are cornerstone good Rx.

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
Systematic review of targeted Rx for lupus nephritis during pregnancy (2000-25). HCQ & AZA are cornerstone good Rx. Acceptable: tacrolimus, ASA. MMF is TERATOGENIC-AVOID! Not Enuf data; Voclosporin, obinutuzumab, Anifrolumab https://t.co/otO9nMHHuO https://t.co/1hLysZLJnG
Nonrigid lumbar belts for nonspecific low back pain actually work! Multicenter French trial enrolled 168 nsLBP pts - bel

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
Nonrigid lumbar belts for nonspecific low back pain actually work! Multicenter French trial enrolled 168 nsLBP pts - belt group had better wk 12, lower pain scores andless need for back pain medication. https://t.co/zgRclsoAR8 https://t.co/9HVwuE1YLz
Italian SPRING cohort of #SSc pts found only 5.3% (of 1689 pts) without the typical scleroderma pattern on nailfold chan

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
Italian SPRING cohort of #SSc pts found only 5.3% (of 1689 pts) without the typical scleroderma pattern on nailfold change by NVC. They had milder dz, with less vascular dz (pitting scars 33 vs 48%), telangiectasias (52 vs 74%), calcinosis 3.4 vs 12%) & higher DLCOs at 12, 24, https://t.co/AoNAhVYfII
Retrospective Medicare comparison 450 paired #PMR cohorts Rx w/ IL-6 inhib or csDMARDs. At 1 yr, IL-6i pts (vs csDMARD)

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
Retrospective Medicare comparison 450 paired #PMR cohorts Rx w/ IL-6 inhib or csDMARDs. At 1 yr, IL-6i pts (vs csDMARD) had signif more GC D/C (adj HR 1.28) or minimal GC use (<3mg/d) (aHR 1.28). Hosp. infxn 2X higher in IL-6i (12.2 vs 5.7 per 100 PY) in year 1, but not year 2 https://t.co/YgqLjD9nvM
Prolonged exposure to targeted Rx in #SpA not assoc w/ increased cancer risk. French claims study 56,591 SpA pts- 1,224

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
Prolonged exposure to targeted Rx in #SpA not assoc w/ increased cancer risk. French claims study 56,591 SpA pts- 1,224 CA (1,029 solid, 116 Heme). TNFi, IL17i, IL12/23i, IL23i, JAKi Exposure >6 vs ≤6 mos assoc w/ lower CA (HR 0.86; 0.75-0.99); signif for Heme (HR 0.65), not https://t.co/rHAa0CkAjT
EU Finalizes Tavneos Withdrawal - The European Commission has officially revoked the marketing authorization for Tavneos

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago

EU Finalizes Tavneos Withdrawal - The European Commission has officially revoked the marketing authorization for Tavneos (avacopan), finalizing a process that began with regulators flagging the drug's pivotal trial data as "incorrect and misleading." The EC issued its legally https://t.co/jgysiV1hyX

QD Clinic: A Watched Tophus Never Resolves

Dr. Jack Cush discusses his plan to medically manage multiple large volume

Dr. John Cush RheumNow

1 month 1 week ago
QD Clinic: A Watched Tophus Never Resolves Dr. Jack Cush discusses his plan to medically manage multiple large volume tophi and a patient who has recently started urate lowering therapy with febuxostat. https://t.co/swfyYEeW0s https://t.co/wyLlcHR4Td
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