Remission – Believe it or Not (10.2.2026)
Dr, Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com
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The GLP-1 Opportunity Cost in Rheumatology
There is no doubt it is an incredibly exciting time to be tackling obesity-related diseases, like many rheumatic diseases appear to be, to some extent. However, deep down, a part of us must dread adding yet another conversation to a crowded consultation. One of two things has to happen: we
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The weight is off, the DMARDs are off - now what?
That promised land of substantive weight loss comes within it the illusion of better disease control and, for inflammatory arthritis patients, the possibility of reducing the burden of regular medicines - often driven by the patient, with or without telling you. It is a dream worth aspiring to
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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
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Prescribing New GLP-1-Based Therapies
https://t.co/cpxyxBMZ8s https://t.co/yV8Jvkh2sk
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
🚨 Registration opens October 1!
RheumNow Live 2027 returns January 30–31 for our 9th Annual CME Meeting.
📍 Dallas + Online
📅 January 30–31, 2027
🎓 High-impact CME. Expert faculty. Real-world rheumatology.
The rheumatology meeting that sets the tone for the year ahead. https://t.co/1u27pab4Ee
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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.
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The Friday RheumNow podcast has dropped! In this week's episode, "Rheumatology Pay Up," Dr. Jack Cush covers:
• Rheumatology physician pay rose 10.4% year-over-year
• New data on colchicine and tofacitinib in knee OA
• What a new study tells us about earlier axSpA diagnosis https://t.co/oXsNruWnc2
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Rheumatology Pay Up (9.25.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.
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It’s almost time. 🔥
Registration for RheumNow Live 2027 opens OCTOBER 1.
Two days of practical, engaging rheumatology education designed to challenge how you think and influence how you practice.
📅 Jan 30–31, 2027
📍 Dallas + Online https://t.co/Ju0zzYX8Tl
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Prescribing New GLP-1-Based Therapies
https://t.co/cpxyxBMZ8s https://t.co/9JXmlW2Lj6
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Early RA Referral Clinics Work (9.18.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on https://t.co/ofGKCCNQnE
https://t.co/fn0L4goAMT https://t.co/F8QKs7261x
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Obesity and Psoriatic Disease
Mason Arbabi, MD and Juliana S. Simonetti, MD
Obesity is a clinically important comorbidity in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Excess adiposity contributes to systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic risk and may adversely affect disease severity and response to some systemic therapies. Intentional weight loss should be considered an
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🚨 Registration opens October 1!
RheumNow Live 2027 returns January 30–31 for our 9th Annual CME Meeting.
📍 Dallas + Online
📅 January 30–31, 2027
🎓 High-impact CME. Expert faculty. Real-world rheumatology.
The rheumatology meeting that sets the tone for the year ahead. https://t.co/PFZ37DlTQe
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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.
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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
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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
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Discussing Weight Loss: 3 Minute Script
Dr. Jack Cush's 3 Minute Script as discussed in his Introducing Weight Loss video.
https://t.co/JRWAPc5if5 https://t.co/jI65VzTIfs
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Early RA Referral Clinics Work (9.18.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com
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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.
https://t.co/6vGd0S0V1W https://t.co/2ATEMRhtMM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ACR Updates Osteoarthritis Guidance
ACR
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released updated clinical guidance for the treatment and management of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, hip, and hand. The evidence-based recommendations update the 2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline and are designed to support individualized,
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JAMA: Review of Adult Rheumatoid Arthritis
This JAMA narrative review is a follow-up to their 2018 publication, informed by 123 articles (46 RCTs, 28 cohort studies, 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses, 15 guidelines) covering epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and https://t.co/6Fiu9iLF5I
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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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Bariatric Surgery in the Era of GLP-1RA
Weight loss with lifestyle changes alone is difficult to sustain for most people. One reason for this is the weight loss associated endocrine milieu, which can decrease energy expenditure and increase the drive to eat. Therefore, we frequently use medications and/or bariatric surgery.
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EBR Journal Club: Dapirolizumab Pegol in SLE (PHOENYCS GO)
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 https://t.co/Pi45T99oJm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Therapeutic Updates
The Four Pillars of Weight Loss
RheumNow
Watch our 'Four Pillars of Weight Loss' 8-part series as part of this month's The Obesity Imperative campaign.
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Underserved and Under-treated
RheumNow
Watch our Underserved and Under-Treated series as part of this month's Mission: APP Partners in Care campaign. Now available: Pain Management and Workforce & APPs
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Watch our 11-video series on ILD Treatment and Guidelines including videos on assessing ILD, guidelines caveats and concerns, and more.
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Recent Blogs
The costs of GLP-1 agonists must come down in order to make these treatments available to the people who need them - including many people with rheumatologic diseases.
A few years ago, when I would see a patient with rheumatic disease and increased BMI, I would often document it as obesity as a comorbidity, recommend weight loss and exercise, and then move on. My approach has changed.
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Podcasts
Obesity & Inflammation: Understanding the Impact on Rheumatic Disease
Day 4 Recap EULAR 2026
ACR 2025 Daily Podcasts Day4b
