News
Mediterranean Diet Lowers Incident Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published the results of the SUN Project study, showing that long-term adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was associated with a substantially lower risk of incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but not psoriasis.
Bringing TOGETHER-PsA Into Clinical Practice
When Ms. RS came into my clinic for a new patient evaluation, she was suffering from highly active skin disease, joint swelling, pain and poor mobility. Her body mass index was 46, indicating class III obesity. A treatment plan focused solely on her inflammatory disease without addressing her weight would not fully address her overall disease burden.
VA/DoD 2025 Obesity Guidelines
Annals of Internal Medicine has published the updated 2025 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guidelines on adult Overweight and Obesity management. Here is a review of the guidelines, including five key takeaways for rheumatologists.
Rheumatology Pay Up (9.25.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.
Beyond Disease Modification: Palliative Care in Rheumatology
Therapeutic advances have transformed the prognosis of many rheumatic diseases, allowing patients to achieve sustained disease control and avoid irreversible organ damage. For some, however, rheumatology conditions progressively cause decline, damage, loss of function, and ultimately shortened life expectancy. Palliative care is an under-utilized and often misunderstood tool within rheumatology.
Gabapentin Use Rose as Restrictions Fell, Study Shows
MedPage Today
Obesity and Psoriatic Disease
Mason Arbabi, MD and Juliana S. Simonetti, MD
Scleroderma-Specific Autoantibodies in Early Systemic Sclerosis
Prognostication is tenous in early scleroderma, especially in those with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). dcSSc has associated with substantial morbidity and disease-specific mortality.
Steroid Delusions in Giant Cell Arteritis
A real world analysis of drug use in giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients shows that despite intending to taper patients off glucocorticoids (GC) by 24 months, 75% remained on GCs for ≥ 48 months.
Endocrine Society - State of Obesity Science and Management
The Endocrine Society has published a scientific statement reframing obesity as a heterogeneous, chronically dysregulated fat-mass disorder, the biology of which is being tested effectively by GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists. Is this precision-medicine? We await long-term safety data, while assessing the outcomes in rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders.
Lifestyle and Incretin Therapy Advice for Rheumatologists
As GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists become standard co-management tools for obese patients with RA, PsA, axSpA, and gout, this JAMA Insights perspective by Kushner, et al. reframes lifestyle counseling as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy - a reversal of the traditional model. This has with direct implications for how we counsel obese patients we start or co-manage on these agents.
Early RA Referral Clinics Work (9.18.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com
EBR Journal Club: Obexelimab in IgG4-Related Disease (INDIGO)
The EBR Journal Club Companion applies my adapted version of the JAMA approach to critical appraisal to an important RCT in rheumatology. Each review covers four domains: Does this apply to my patients? What is the risk of bias? How great are the benefits and harms? And what didn’t they show me? This edition: INDIGO (obexelimab in IgG4-related disease).