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Anti-Rheumatic Rx

Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
Steroids are easy to start and hard to stop. Hold the MTX, but not the biologic or JAK. And what’s the latest on avacopan? This week, Dr. Jack Cush reviews the rheumatology news you don’t want to miss: from new approvals and promising trial results to sobering Sjögren’s data, https://t.co/UC4RdHMaFS

Don’t Hold the JAK (10.9.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

On this week's podcast, Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news: Steroids are easy to start and hard to stop; hold the MTX but not the biologic or JAK, weighing in on avacopan, and age-old messages for old-age patients. 

Can DMARD Doses Be Safely Reduced for RA Patients?

MedPage Today

Close to 90% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) well controlled on targeted therapies were able to take 50% dosage reductions without experiencing worsened disease activity in a randomized trial, South Korean researchers said.

Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
Retrospective real world avacopan (AVCP) safety data from UK vasculitis center looked at AAV pts (RTX or CTX) rx w/ AVCP (n 133) or not AVCP (n 458). @1 yr AVCP had nonsignif incr in ALT >2xULN (15.8% v 11.4%) or >3xULN (11.3% v 6.3%; P 0.064) No diff in Alk phos, Bili, Hy's law https://t.co/ZZhpxdKhQl
Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
Using national survey data of adults (62-85 yrs) saw no change in Rx Med (84% vs 85%) or dietary supplement (66% vs 67%) use betw 2015-2016 & 2021-2013. But OTC declined (60% vs 55%; P = .04). Polypharmacy signif incr. Drug-drug interactions declined (26% vs 22%; P .02) w/ https://t.co/16xPyKS2aU

Exercise Can Improve Pain

Jack Cush, MD

This pooled meta-analyses (n=197,392) shows that exercise reduced pain versus control immediately after the intervention (SMD −0.59; 95% CI −0.65 to −0.53; P0.001). The benefit held across musculoskeletal, inflammatory, neurologic and cancer pain, and for every modality tested.

Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
Italian retrospective study of 36 difficult #GCA pts (89% relapsed; 72% prev TCZ) showed Clinical remission 85%, 81%, & 83% at 3, 6, & 12 mos. GC-free remission increased to 15%, 28%, & 40% at 3, 6, & 12 mos. GCs d/c in 43%. Results at odds w/ ph III GCAptAIN RCT where SEC https://t.co/ufCeaJnVXk
Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
Remission — believe it or not. What’s happening in rheumatology this week? Dr. Jack Cush breaks down the latest news and journal reports on RheumNow: 10-year T2T data: 82% in remission Residual steroids don’t preserve remission Biologics linked to lower PsA risk GLP-1s + knee OA https://t.co/2Zf9g1Wehg
Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
The weight is off, the DMARDs are off - now what? Sometimes it’s only when we have effective solutions that we have to think about what to do next. And when that happens, remember why we do things in the first place. In an era when weight loss is happening on scale, now we need https://t.co/MTjU5YRS5q
Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
Prednisone Primer for Patients The Washington Post published a patient overview on "what Prednisone does to your body". Prednisone is a double-edged drug. It has been on the market since 1955, ranks among the 40 most-prescribed US drugs, and about 10 million Americans receive
Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
ARthritis & CAncer (ARCA) is Spanish retro study of 728 #RA pts w/ Hx of CA & Rx w/ biologics. W/ F/U of 11 022 yrs, new/recurrent CA was not incr (7.3/1000PYs) & = Pts Rx w/ csDMARDs (HRs 0.94; 0.73,1.21) & not incr w/ TNFi (0.94), IL-6i (1.03), CD20i (0.81), JAKi (0.6), ABA https://t.co/UUWlsaYV0Z

Petri SLE Pearls: An Update

Kathryn H. Dao, M.D.

At the CCR West 2026 conference in Huntington Beach, California, Dr. Michelle Petri updated her Petri Pearls. Some are derived from new data, while others are from her extensive experience caring for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). As always, her observations and wisdom have

Dr. John Cush
@RheumNow
Metanalysis of Metabolic syndrome (MetS) in #SLE (65 articles, 11K pts). MetS prevalence 27% (higher in males (36 vs 27%). HCQ assoc w/ signif less MetS (OR 0.66), but more w/ CTX (1.39), AZA (1.25), MMF (1.13), but not steroids or MTX. MetS pts were older, obese, w/ high Chol & https://t.co/qSXZkyYTmZ
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