Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years 5 months ago
PCSK9 inhibitors (ie, Repatha) can safetly be used in Statin-induced HMGCR+ myopathy pts . 8 pts given PCSK9 inhib for hyperlipidemia, showed no Sx worsening, CK levels dropped (956±1137 IU/L to 419±393 IU/L) & HMGCR Ab titers decreased; 2/8 improved https://t.co/iSuPz6ptBY
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years 5 months ago
Studies argue about MTX efficacy in GCA; many calling for new RCTs at higher doses. A new real world study compared 83 GCA pts on MTX (13.5mg/wk) vs 83 controls showing signif. lower relapse rates with MTX (0.32; 0.24–0.41), but no change in steroid use https://t.co/aCrL4PILUM
The NY Times and 60 Minutes have reported that Connecticut, along with 43 other states, filed a mega-lawsuit accusing the generic drug makers of a massive, systematic conspiracy to bilk consumers out of billions of dollars. (Citation source: https://buff.ly/2vSmv03)
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years 5 months ago
When two people have respect and rapport, the one with certainty will influence or outperform the other. – Tony Robbins
JAMA Dermatology reports on a comparative cohort study of 107,707 psoriasis patients, finding a decreased risk of serious infections among users of apremilast, etanercept, and ustekinumab when compared with methotrexate.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years 5 months ago
The RheumNow Podcast is up! Watch it here https://t.co/fKvdmcuBtE or listen to the podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud https://t.co/IBOgZQvIiC
For the first time in the United States, employed physicians outnumber self-employed physicians, according to a newly updated study on physician practice arrangements by the American Medical Association (AMA). This milestone marks the continuation of a long-term trend that has slowly shifted the distribution of physicians away from ownership of private practices.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years 5 months ago
Have you accessed RheumNow Live On Demand? It's free. More than 30 speakers delivered outstanding talks that I think you'll enjoy. Just go to https://t.co/1jGiIQXvua to register. #rheumed https://t.co/Gxahq1Tp9X
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years 5 months ago
Initiating Urate Lowering Therapy (ULT) in 75 #Gout patients was associated with a 48% gout flare rate (within 3 mos of ULT). Risk factors include CRP >30mg/L, no prophylaxis (NSAID, colchicine) https://t.co/0oqnMgNVzX
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
A recent article in JAMA by Drs. Goodman and Brett reviews the increasing off label use of gabapentinoid drugs, originally developed as antiseizure drugs that are now increasingly prescribed for painful conditions.
A pilot treatment study of patients with anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase antibody–positive polymyositis/dermatomyositis-associated interstitial lung disease (anti-ARS-PM/DM-ILD) shows therapy with glucocorticoids and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) to be highly effective.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years 5 months ago
Analysis of claims data compared hospitalized infection rates among 11,248 matched pairs of new initiators of abatacept or TNF inhibitors. Serious hosp infections were significantly lower in ABA vs infliximab (HR 0.63; 0.47-0.85), but similar to ETN & ADA https://t.co/JhXlC7p1A7
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
7 years 5 months ago
23 pts with Fibromyalgia were compared to non-diabetic Framingham and NHANES cohorts and shown to have significantly higher Hgb-A1c levels; suggesting insulin resistence in FM. 16 pts were given metformin and 50% had complete pain resolution (=0) https://t.co/OsbGFhcaCd

