In 2018, Park et al showed optimal responses to influenza vaccination in RA patients was best achieved by holding methotrexate for 2 weeks following immunization, with improved humoral responses. Now, a followup trial suggests that equivalent results are had by holding MTX for only 1 week with the "flu" vaccine.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Research from 12 states with medical cannabis laws looked at 583 820 adults w/ chronic noncancer pain. Data over 3 yres shows < 0.05% change in the use of opioid prescriptions, nonopioid prescriptions, pain meds, or chr pain procedures https://t.co/ArbP4xe4dH https://t.co/MPRBZNIIoS
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Top 10-selling drugs accts for 22% of Medicare part D spending ($47.7/$215.7 billion)
Eliquis $12.6 Billion
Trulicity $4.7 B
Januvia $4.1B
Jardiance $3.7B
Lantus $2.8B
Ozempic $2.6B
Revlimid $5.9B
Xarelto $5.2B
Imbruvica $3.2B
Humira $2.9B
https://t.co/5rvLldNLF0 https://t.co/OOt8he8Ig4
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
In AUSTRALIA, 30% (~ 7million) have a chronic #MSK condition, costing $14.6 billion (10% of all healthcare spending) in 2019-20. Overall, 4 million w/ back problems, 3 million arthritis, 900,000 osteoporosis, 450,000 w/ #RA. https://t.co/TDV50PoRXj https://t.co/EtSUuv6jMA
Obstetric complications and poor pregnancy outcomes are not uncommon in women with SLE, especially with active disease. A large Spanish cohort trials shows that term pregnancy is more likely before the diagnosis of SLE and that poorer pregnancy outcomes were associated with antibody positivity to anticardiolipin IgG and anti-beta-2- glycoprotein IgG/IgM, but not lupus anticoagulant.
The transition from psoriasis to PsA – and the early diagnosis of PsA – is of considerable scientific and clinical interest. People typically have psoriatic skin disease for a decade or more before they begin to experience the joint involvement of PsA. Understanding more about the natural history and trajectory of this disease will help in the future prevention of PsA, as well as shed more light on possible risk factors and predictors.
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Filgotinib Effects on Semen and Sex Hormones
The oral Janus kinase 1 inhibitor filgotinib is available worldwide, but not in the USA, where the FDA held up its approval for use in RA due to unfinished studies of filgotinib's effects on sperm cells.
https://t.co/SrwInSY45G https://t.co/TD54PXNFbi
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Antidrug Antibodies Impair Response to Biologic Drugs
Monitoring for antidrug antibodies with biologic has not been routine in rheumatology but a new study suggests that antidrug antibodies correlate with nonresponse to bDMARDs in RA patients.
https://t.co/tMxZpbyJl1 https://t.co/VCUdkp8I15
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Remembering Dr. Naomi F. Rothfield - As one of UConn School of Medicine’s first women faculty, legendary internationally-renowned rheumatologist Dr. had a nearly 50 year career at UConn Health retiring in 2016. She passed away on Sunday, July 2. https://t.co/D3vJzXQCnz https://t.co/YajGbGWpKf
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Scary Outcomes with Systemic Sclerosis Sine Scleroderma
The hallmark of SSc is scleroderma, but less than 10% of SSc patients have ssSSc. A EUSTAR database review compared the manifestations and outcomes of ssSSC to lcSSc and dcSSc.
https://t.co/DMZTLKwmHv https://t.co/2bXqMt7H1z
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Review of DMARDs on the immunogenicity of vaccines by Winthrop:
- reduced by B cell depletion, MMF, CTX, AZA, ABA
- no effect: IL-6 inhibitors & HCQ
- MTX & steroids: gen suppressed by depends on dose & vaccine type https://t.co/mh8xDnwpim https://t.co/44HJjPq0BS
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Multicenter open label trial of 30 refract. Behcets (BD) pts treated w/ tocilizumab (TCZ) x 6 mos; TCZ was effective in 83% (18 complete & 7 partial resp). Complete responses seen w/ uveitis 67%, CNS 60%, mucosal 42%, articular 21%; plus steroid sparing https://t.co/PfrAoQxC2F https://t.co/ocAFv0Y2kr
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Metanalysis 62 RCTs & 16 LTE RCTs looks at neoplasia risk in JAKi, TNFi, MTX, PBO. Total CA rate=1.15/100PYs in RCTs. No diff in all CA between JAKi vs PBO or JAKi vs MTX (IRR 0.77); but JAKi had more CA than TNFi (1.50; 1.16, 1.94) https://t.co/uRLJdO8A2j https://t.co/brNX6ZSfqq
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
Pre-Clinical RA - Clinical Trial Outcomes
https://t.co/EIG1eam31h https://t.co/6rYcGmgJG5
Dr. John Cush RheumNow
3 years 1 month ago
JAMA: Prophylaxis for Pneumocystis Pneumonia - indications and Rx
- Immuncompromised and Immunodeficient
- Pts on Hi Dose Steroids
- ANCA–associated vasculitis
https://t.co/GjtkgeZE8b https://t.co/1I1jjrI5s8

