Open-access Arthralgia Clinics
The early diagnosis in inflammatory arthritis (IA), particularly rheumatoid arthritis (RA), hinges on efficient referral and screening of arthralgia patients. Yet most rheumatology practices are ill equipped or don't
Treat-to-Target and Cardiovascular Benefits in Gout
A new user cohort study of 109 504 gout patients, achieving a serum urate level less than 6 mg/dL, was associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events.
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B cell Targeted CAR-T Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases
EurekAlert!
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has emerged as a transformative approach in modern medicine, demonstrating remarkable efficacy in targeting pathogenic B-cell lineages with unprecedented specificity. Originally developed for B cell malignancies, this innovative immunotherapy
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Hydroxychloroquine Lowers SLE and RA Hospitalizations
A population based study from British Columbia, Canada, shows that antimalarial adherence was associated with a lower risk of hospital admission in patients with rheumatoid
Early vs Delayed Belimumab in Lupus
An economic evaluation of early vs delayed use of the Blys inhibitor, belimumab (BEL), in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has shown both cost-effectiveness and clinical utility of early BEL initiation in active lupus patients. https://t.co/7unHZhR6Dd
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Equivalent Healthcare Outcomes by Nurses and Physicians
With increasing demand for health services in an aging population, serving complex patients with comorbidities, and increasing healthcare costs, the question of whether nurses can substitute for physicians was addressed by a recent Cochrane review.
Supportive vs Flexible Footwear in Hip Osteoarthritis
Do shoes make a difference in osteoarthritis (OA)? Common advice often suggests that stable supportive shoes can improve arthritis symptoms in the knee, but does this apply to hip osteoarthritis?
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Epidemiology of Dry Eye Autoimmune Disease
Dry eye rates upwards of 20% were seen across nine common autoimmune diseases other than Sjögren's, most often in rheumatoid arthritis (39.3%) with Crohn's disease bringing up the rear (23.0%), according to Chi-Chin Sun, MD, PhD, of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Keelung, Taiwan, and colleagues
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3 Months of Romosozumab in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
A report in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology suggested that 3 months of romosozumab (ROMO) followed by denosumab is as effective at increasing hip bone mineral density (BMD) as the standard 12-month course.
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Early vs Delayed Belimumab in Lupus
An economic evaluation of early vs delayed use of the Blys inhibitor, belimumab (BEL), in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has shown both cost effectiveness and clinical utility of early BEL initiation in active lupus patients.
While most would advocate for using your best therapy
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Referral Rules to Live By (2.20.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. Highlights include referral rules, combination biiologics in psoriasis and don't use JAK inhibitors in pregnancy.
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Referrals - Orthopedics or Rheumatology?
“Orthopedics or rheumatology, who should I see?" A question, often asked with urgency, posed by those who genuinely don’t know who to see for a musculoskeletal (MSK) complaint. Inquiring patients, family, or other physicians may be one forum for such a request. Another occurs in the
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Maui Potpourri (2.13.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the hot item takeaways from last week's RheumNow.Live 2026.
- Diet & Obesity Management in Rheumatology - Uzma Haque, MD
- Mitigating risk for Rheum patients undergoing orthopedic surgery - Susan Goodman, MD
- Paradoxical skin reactions – Joseph
We are Doctors, Not Providers!
With apologies to Shakespeare, names are important. In health care, they can have ethical significance. The American College of Physicians has published a new ethics/position policy paper proclaiming that the term ‘provider’ should not be used to describe physicians, and using the blanket term
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ACR Applauds Recent Government Funding
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) praised the recent Congressional CY 26 funding package, highlighting its provisions to extend Medicare telehealth payment flexibilities, enhance transparency in pharmacy benefit management, and https://t.co/gr3X7RRGLN
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ANA Pollution (2.06.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal articles and regulatory news from this past week on RheumNow.com
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FDA vs. Amgen: At Odds Over Avacopan
MedPage Today
The FDA has requested that Amgen voluntarily withdraw avacopan (Tavneos), a treatment for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis, but the company said it has no plans to pull the drug from the market.
Originally developed by ChemoCentryx, the oral
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ACR Applauds Recent Government Funding
ACR
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) today applauded the recent passage of the Congressional CY 26 funding package that includes several important provisions, including extending Medicare telehealth payment flexibilities, improving transparency in pharmacy benefit management (PBM)
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Which Fibromyalgia Drugs are Cost-Effective?
A cost-effectiveness analysis compared FDA approved fibromyalgia (FM) drugs (pregabalin, duloxetine, milnacipran) with amitriptyline and found duloxetine was the preferred strategy across perspectives.
https://t.co/5NZeYquGxs https://t.co/rhcwH2yLEm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Which Fibromyalgia Drugs are Cost-Effective?
A cost-effectiveness analysis compared FDA approved fibromyalgia drugs (pregabalin, duloxetine, milnacipran) with amitriptyline and found duloxetine was the preferred strategy across perspectives.
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Methotrexate intolerance in rheumatoid arthritis
A current large rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort study from Cairo assessed methotrexate (MTX) use and found over half were MTX intolerant and a third of patients were noncompliant with MTX.
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PA Assn President position on DES/gov Proposed Rule on Federal Student Loans "... loan rule is deeply flawed, outside the Dept’s authority...inconsistent w/.. Trumps rural healthcare workforce priorities.. excluding PAs will decimate US healthcare workforce pipeline" https://t.co/p5owv3Ui2B
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
TOPKAT Trial: Partial vs Total Knee Replacement
MedPage Today
Patients with osteoarthritis (OA) primarily affecting only one knee joint compartment did just as well with partial knee replacement (PKR) as with total arthroplasty after 10 years in a randomized trial -- and maybe a little bit better.
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Lupus Foundation announced today that US House of Representatives have approved $27 Million in Funding for Lupus Programs in 2026 w/ fund available from (CDC), OMH, & DoD. Funding increased 40% @ CDC, 33% @OMH, & $415 million @ National Institutes of Health https://t.co/ENcykcW7yA
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Consensus on Managing Vertebral Fractures in Advanced CKD
EurekAlert!
A coalition of leading international experts have released the first comprehensive Consensus Statement on the Management of Vertebral Fractures in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stages G4–G5D. The statement highlights a neglected yet devastating complication of advanced
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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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One of the first words I was taught by my parents was “chào”. In Vietnamese, you say chào and bow when you greet someone or when you leave as a sign of respect.
In my first blog about self-discovery, I detailed the burnout and why I left clinical practice. In this second blog of the trilogy, I wanted to share encounters with patients as I told them goodbye. While I received great advice when I started practice, no one ever talks about how hard it is to leave.
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