News
Rheum Scholarship (8.21.2026)
Dr. Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com; talking about lumbar belts, scholarships and misdiagnosis.
A Tribute to Thomas A. Medsger Jr., MD (1936–2026)
The rheumatology and scleroderma communities mourn the loss of Dr. Thomas A. Medsger Jr., who died August 15, 2026, in Pittsburgh, at age 89.
Misdiagnosis of Still's Disease
High fever, strange rashes, scary labs often lead to a consideration of Still's disease (AOSD or systemic JIA). Yet the dramatic onset of a systemic disorder may overlap with another, and possibly as rare, systemic disorder that should not be misdiagnosed or mistreated. A current case review by Zhu et al. presents six cases initially diagnosed as systemic JIA, teaching several important lessons.
Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Rheumatoid Arthritis
RA confers a 50–100% excess risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with the general population, with adjusted hazard/odds ratios ranging from 1.3–2.2 across large cohort studies (Vojinovic, Askling, Antovic; Rheumatology, 2026).
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.
JAMA: Review of Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain affects 16% of adults annually and is the third most common musculoskeletal presentation in primary care. This new review reframes the diagnostic and therapeutic approach, moving away from pathoanatomic labels (rotator cuff tendinopathy, impingement, bursitis) toward the umbrella term subacromial pain, since structural findings on imaging correlate poorly with symptoms and are common in asymptomatic people.
Efgartigimod Efficacy in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy
Today Argenx announced the results of their Phase 3 "ALKIVIA" study; demonstrating efficacy and safety of subcutaneous efgartigimod for Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (IIM, AKA inflammatory myositis).
Can Effective Psoriasis Therapy Prevent Psoriatic Arthritis?
A review article assesses and integrates mechanistic, imaging, and clinical evidence to examine whether effective treatment of psoriasis may modify the future risk of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Doubting RS3PE (8.14.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles this week where RheumNow featured info on cancer, deadly viruses, AI rules, poetry and good moons rising.
ZEUS Trial: IL-6 Inhibition Fails to Cut Cardiovascular Events
The phase 3 ZEUS trial (published in JAMA Dec. 2025) tested the IL-6 ligand inhibitor ziltivekimab in over 6,000 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and elevated hsCRP—a population enriched for an inflammatory driver of risk.
2026 BSR Pain Guideline: What Rheumatologists Need to Know
The British Society for Rheumatology has issued its first guideline dedicated solely to pain in inflammatory arthritis (IA)—covering RA, PsA, axial SpA and JIA.
Updated Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Use in Medical Publications
JAMA has updated its guidance for the acceptable use of artificial intelligence (AI) in authoring a medical publication. Despite growing AI use, very low rates of disclosure of AI use have been reported. This update provides specific information about what is permitted and not permitted, and what needs to be disclosed.