News
Infectious Rheumatology (5.15.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush discusses his favorite journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.
Fatigue in SLE
An NIH lupus cohort study looked at fatigue in SLE and found associations with organ damage, obesity, but does not correlate with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.
Another IL-17A inhibitor (Vunakizumab) for active Ankylosing Spondylitis
Vunakizumab, a novel anti–interleukin (IL) 17A monoclonal antibody, was studied in patients with active radiographic axial spondyloarthritis [r-axSpA] and found to be effective and
EGPA Review
A current review of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) provides current recommendations on diagnosis and management.
Toll-Like Receptor Drugs Effective in Cutaneous Lupus
MedPage Today
Lupus Mortality Risk in Young Women
ACR
New research using death certificate data from 52,942 females, reveals that systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a leading cause of years of potential life lost among young women in the United States, underscoring the disease’s significant and often underrecognized public health burden.
Chronic Low Back Pain Disappointments in a Randomized Trial
Annals of Internal Medicine reports that patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) may benefit from physical therapy (PT); but when that fails, other secondary measures (cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or mindfulness) may not be effective.
Vitamin D in Rheumatic Disease - is it Good Enough?
Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency of is highly prevalent and has been often associated with inflammatory rheumatic diseases, raising the question of whether inadequate vitamin D status contributes to immune dysregulation, incipient disease, increased disease activity, or poor skeletal outco
Influential Rheumatoid Factors (5.8.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com
A Review of Hydroxychloroquine Ocular Toxicity
While hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is thought to be a very safe drug, its ocular risk profile is probably more serious than appreciated. A comprehensive review published in the Journal of Rheumatology discusses HCQ pharmacokinetics, mechanisms of retinal toxicity, risk stratification, and evidence-based screening protocols and how the drug can be used and monitored.
Gout Control Lowers Cardiovascular Events
A large target emulation trial suggests that gout patients prescribed urate-lowering treatment who achieve a serum urate level lower than 6 mg/dL significantly lower their risk of cardiovascular events.
Review of Toll-like Receptor Research
EurekAlert!
A new review on Toll-like receptors (TLRs) systematically summarizes forty years of discoveries in the TLR field, from the initial identification of Toll in Drosophila embryonic development to the current understanding of
Nurses - the calm through chaos
Gloria was the charge nurse on 3 West when a “code” was called. Action, running, and commotion ensues as the crash cart, nurses, and respiratory therapist appear at the bedside. Two residents emerge as the patient is hooked up to the monitor. While everyone assumes their position and role, Gloria ensures the protocol and steers the people, pumping, intubating, monitoring and medicating.
A Patient’s Plea for a New Paradigm in Autoimmune Disease
A current article in Nature Reviews Rheumatology has a patient boldly asking why we rheumatologists aren't more like her oncologists?