Added IVIG is Effective in Myositis
A small randomized controlled trial demonstrates that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) added to cortocosteroids lead to greater and faster improvements in patients with newly
Data presented at 2027 ASMBS meeting showed betw 2020-2024, wt loss surgeries dropped 23%, from 230,000 in 2022 to 177,000 in 2024. Less than 1% of eligible pts are now having weight-loss surgery https://t.co/UnYIIBDdnz https://t.co/FuwnOuBUeY
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Early RA Referral Clinics Work!
An outcomes study from the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic (EAC) has shown substantially less diagnostic delay and better long-term outcomes when patients are referred to EAC compared to usual referrals.
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Weight Loss Improves Psoriatic Disease Substantially!
Even before the introduction of incretin therapy and bariatric surgery, many randomized and interventional studies (2019–2026) have consistently showed that weight loss produces clinically meaningful, dose-dependent improvement in both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
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A Day of Infamy (9.11.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on Rheumnow.com - including obesity, disappointing durability with GLP-1 drugs, AI diagnoses and worries about CV risk in ANCA-associated vasculitis. And take this week's RheumIQ quiz
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JAMA: Review of Adult Rheumatoid Arthritis
Smolen, Kerschbaumer, Aletaha, and Robinson have published a comprehensive review article of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in JAMA, noting significant changes to our understanding and treatment guidelines.
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Physician SURVEY> When prescribing a generic, where do you refer the Patient?
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AI Diagnosing Rheumatic Disease?
MedPage Today
Prof. Valmed, a large language model (LLM) cleared by European regulators for medical diagnosis, outperformed human physicians for diagnosing rheumatologic conditions in terms of speed but not accuracy, a randomized trial showed.
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ACP Position Statements on the Ethics of AI in Medical Practice
Recently JAMA updated its guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) in medical publications. Now, the ACP has published a position paper regarding the use and ethical considerations for the use of AI in medical practice.
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Music and Pain Relief
If laughter is the best medicine, then music has to be second best. A new scoping review in Pain Reports by Bradt et al., examines the effect of music-based interventions (MBIs) on pain management. While its efficacy is well established, how or why music relieves pain has never been fully
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Novartis & BMS CAR-T Cell Trials on Hold
Reuters and the Wall Street Journal report that both Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) have paused their autoimmune disease CAR-
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EUSTAR Registry - Cancer in Systemic Sclerosis
Cancer is a major cause of mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). A nested case-control study within EUSTAR registry shows distinct patterns of cancer related temporally to SSc, serologic profiles and traditional cancer risk factors.
Cancers were
The Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF) will konor John Stamos with the Bob Saget Legacy Award at this year's "Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine" ceremony that will take place Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles. Proceeds will support the SRF https://t.co/VHIpBJrXd4
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Insights into Sjögren’s Disease - A Rheum Survey
RheumNow recentlty surveyed rheumatologists about Sjogren’s disease (SjD) - how they approach diagnosis, treatment, and unique challenges; all important as new advances in SjD evolves.
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Age-specific Incidence of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Epidemiologic estimates on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis are limited. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Lupus Registry network of population-based SLE registries has assessed and reported age-specific incidence of SLE
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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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.
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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
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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).
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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.
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2026 PGY1 match for non–US citizen international medical graduates (IMGs) has reached a 5-year low; yet US health care relies heavily on non–US-born MDs. In US, there are 6300 Rheumatologists - 46.9% US born USMG; 5.4% US born IMG; 11.2% non-US born USMG; 36.5% non-US born IMG https://t.co/cwx5ugBaVE
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Wealth and Where you Live Influences Outcomes
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 https://t.co/MyzWRx580R
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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.
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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.
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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
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At first, it seemed similar to many other such sessions – a circle of folding chairs, a group of colleagues whose visages exuded understanding and acceptance – but this was special. I started the meeting…. “Hi, my name is Artie.”
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At first, it seemed similar to many other such sessions – a circle of folding chairs, a group of colleagues whose visages exuded understanding and acceptance – but this was special. I started the meeting…. “Hi, my name is Artie.”
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One of the benefits of attending conferences aside from scientific exchange is meeting new people. At one symposium, I met a unique rheumatologist. This chance meeting turned into an interview, that turned into a blog. Holly Bastian, MD is a rheumatologist practicing without the restraints of being tied to a place. She is a nomadic rheumatologist, a rheum on the road who embodies Johnny Appleseed as she spreads her knowledge and skills to multiple places in need of rheumatologic services. This is her story.
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