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.
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SLE & Dermatomyositis rashes maybe classically red or violaceous in Whites,but different in people of color, where erythema often appears brown/violaceous, Gottron papules can be mistaken for "dry skin." This delays dx, especially in anti-MDA5+ RP-ILD, where rash may be the https://t.co/DIe2OJhZIc
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
MASLD - Spanish review of 330 pts (101 psoriasis, 127 PsA, 102 controls) found metabolic-dysfunc-assoc steatotic liver Dz in 48% PsO, 32% PsA, 9% controls (p < 0.001). FibroScan tended higher in PsO 6.01 PsA 5.1 vs 4.9 controls https://t.co/wPxbLwVlOW https://t.co/ZtqYX5HPZa
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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). https://t.co/3gnV3eaKiu
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
SLE & Dermatomyositis rashes maybe classically red or violaceous in Whites,but different in people of color, where erythema often appears brown/violaceous, Gottron papules can be mistaken for "dry skin." This delays dx, especially in anti-MDA5+ RP-ILD, where rash may be the https://t.co/Savx5IOTcG
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
A Case of Sweet Syndrome
https://t.co/M4ERsHnnH7 https://t.co/88bqEemJG8
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Wealth and Where you Live Influences Outcomes
EurekAlert!
Patients from wealthier European countries tend to start treatment with biologics earlier but also stop or switch treatment earlier. They also experience lower disease activity at treatment start than patients in middle- and low-income countries.
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What's New in Lyme Disease
JAMA has published an overview of new considerations on Lyme disease, focusing on Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Prevention.
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POETYK PsA-1: Deucravacitinib in Biologic-Naïve PsA
POETYK PsA-1 trial tested the disease modifying efficacy of deucravacitinib, a tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients and was shown to be superior vs to placebo for clinical responses, patient-reported outcomes, and structural damage inhibition in PsA.
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Methotrexate Safety Tips (7.31.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com.
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Yesterday the EMA approved upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for the Treatment of Adults and Adolescents with Non-Segmental Vitiligo - the 1st therapy approved for the most common form of vitiligo. Based on positive results from the Phase 3 Viti-Up trials https://t.co/MMv5LjZclQ https://t.co/zN41GC5T15
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Psoriasis = Myocardial Dysfunction (unrelated to Cardiometabolic Risk Factors) 1010 PsO pts vs controls w/o skin dz, assessed clinically & by ECHO. PSO pts (even w/ controlled dz) had signif more myocardial dysfunction (17% vs 6%). Higher BMI & DM independently assoc w/ https://t.co/MjcRmgyCWX
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
The Wider Implications of Dactylitis
Dactylitis, AKA the "sausage digit", is a hallmark of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), but as Possemato and colleagues point out, it is fundamentally a clinical sign, and not a diagnosis. This review article discusses the wider implications of dactylitis in rheumatology and medicine underscores the
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Guidelines to Spot Cancer in High Risk Dermatomyositis
International guidelines can help identify dermatomyositis patients with a particularly high risk for cancer, according to a retrospective single-center U.S. study.
https://t.co/h4jFi2Ph1M https://t.co/BueumKCYHY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RT @yuz6yusof
#EULAR2026 OP0337 In double blind LTE WILLOW study, cutaneous efficacy (change in CLASI, CLASI 70/50) was maintained in Enpatoran, TLR 7/8-i by WK48. Those switched from PBO to ENP at WK24 also showed equal efficacy to ENP-ENP group. Promising treatment for #CLE
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
DERM on RheumNow (June 2026)
The Derm on RheumNow podcast is a collection of Citations and Content curated for dermatologists – addressing Psoriasis, PsA, CLE, vasculitis, HS, other CTD skin disorders. dermatology drugs, biologics, JAKs - their use, efficacy and side effects. https://t.co/vy4BAx8Lnq
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ICYMI: VEXAS Syndrome - A Review
Beck et al has published a review of the VEXAS syndrome in The Lancet, focusing on the pathogenesis, spectrum, and treatment strategies.
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2026 Guidelines for the Treatment of Axial Spondyloarthritis
ACR
New and updated clinical guidelines released today provide comprehensive, evidence-based recommendations for the management of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) for both adults and children. The effort includes an update to the 2019 ACR/SAA/SPARTAN treatment guidelines focusing on adults,
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B cell Targeting in SLE
MedPage Today
Prospects are growing that an approved, off-the-shelf drug can rescue patients with certain ultra-refractory autoimmune diseases, a pair of new reports suggest.
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Risk of Psoriasis is increased 19% by long-term exposure to Particulate Matter (PM2.5 & PM10; adjHR 1.19), while short-term exposure increases risk of psoriasis exacerbation (adjusted OR 1.03). Stronger in younger, urban, lower SES, ever-smokers, & comorbid allergies https://t.co/pd6S13RG1B
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
EULAR 2026 Rheumatology RoundUp
It’s time for Rheumatology RoundUp from EULAR 2026 from London, UK. Drs. Artie Kavanaugh and Jack Cush review their choice presentations from the meeting, offering their perspectives on impact and applicability.
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Synovio-entheseal inflammation and the tipping point from PsO to PsA
Psoriatic arthritis develops in approximately 20 to 30 per cent of patients with psoriasis, yet predicting which patients will make the transition and when, has remained one of the most clinically challenging questions in rheumatology. A study presented at EULAR 2026 provides the most granular
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Biologic Class Determines PsA Risk in Psoriasis
At EULAR 2026, Dr Nikolaos Kougkas presented data from a unique real-world cohort built within joint dermatology–rheumatology university centers, following 394 patients with psoriasis on bDMARDs for up to 17 years. We sat down with Dr Kougkas to unpack the methodology, challenge the results, and
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#OP0337 In 48-week WILLOW🌳 LTE, oral TLR7/8 inhibitor enpatoran showed sustained improvements in cutaneous lupus activity with high CLASI-50/70 response rates and consistent safety profile across doses. Encouraging long-term data for CLE/SLE skin disease. #EULAR2026 @RheumNow https://t.co/6y0HjaTMqh
Mrinalini Dey @DrMiniDey( View Tweet )
Recent Blogs
With their publication in June 2022 (1), the 3rd iteration of the Group for Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) Treatment recommendations for Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) may have set a record or sorts.
Pain is typically ranked by both patients and physicians as the most important symptom of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) to assess and treat. Although the predominant concept of the etiology of pain in PsA is that of inflammation in peripheral joints, entheses, and bone signaling through peripheral nociceptive fibers, perceived as pain in the central nervous system, it is actually more complex than that. The ability of a treatment to ameliorate pain is one of the principle measures of its effectiveness. Thus pain improvement or worsening are key determinants of shared decision making about treatment in PsA.
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Patient TS was a 30 year old woman who had been living with psoriatic arthritis for about 18 months. Her symptoms had started about 6 months after the birth of her first child with mild psoriasis in her scalp but increasing joint pain in her hands, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles. She had dactylitis in several fingers that caused her extreme pain.
