Poets Know It (3.13.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, regulatory decisions and new journal articles.
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Is BMI a risk factor for Palindromic rheumatism (PR)? Study of 147 PR patients and 294 matched HCs. No significant difference was observed in mean BMI between PR patients and HCs and overweight or obesity was not associated with an increased risk of PR. https://t.co/W7XehFVCTR https://t.co/YRPOeqR04j
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Annual fibromyalgia survey (FIRST) in axSpA pts in the DESIR cohort. FM was found in 22% (& assoc w/ less HLA-B27+ & XRay sacroiliitis, equal MRI SI a& ^ CRP. FM/AxSpA had less self-reported Dz activity, QOL, more disability & more likely to Rx w/ TNFi (64% vs 41%), but resp https://t.co/9rkZFUSB2M
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Prebiotic fibre improves knee OA. Study of 117 older adults w/ KOA Rx w/ 6wks of inulin (fibre) or Physiotherapy exercise (PSE) or both vs PBO. Both Inulin & PSE signif improved pain & PSE vs PBO ( −1.11 to -2.5; p <0.045); inulin also improved pain sensitivity & grip strength https://t.co/Efic4mru1i
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Annual fibromyalgia survey (FIRST) in axSpA pts in the DESIR cohort. FM was found in 22% (& assoc w/ less HLA-B27+ & XRay sacroiliitis, equal MRI SI a& ^ CRP. FM/AxSpA had less self-reported Dz activity, QOL, more disability & more likely to Rx w/ TNFi (64% vs 41%), but resp https://t.co/Rf5RGIanAP
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Cross-sectional study of Joint hypermobility (JH) in 256 young adults (75% female) found JH in 42%, females w/ signif. higher Beighton scores. 88% had chronic MSK pain; 38% had acute MSK pain. MSK pain was signif higher in students with mild JH (BS 4–6/9 pts; P < 0.009) https://t.co/QZwJ9zHfEj
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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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GLP-1s are known to improved knee OA. Using a mouse OA model w/ obesity, semaglutide yielded less pain, osteophytes & had strong chondroprotective effects, fia a wt loss-independent way. Changing from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation resulted in cartilage restoration. https://t.co/YySGDHX9KO
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Population survey of 21 000 US adults, 62.3% reported recent use of any OTC or prescription meds. Past-7-day prevalence of any OTC medication was equal to RX med use (46%) and increased use with age among both male and female individuals. https://t.co/xeWBQ0DnlB https://t.co/c8lqXOmAaT
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Comorbidity & Health Management
https://t.co/cSwCEDKL28 https://t.co/WP7yIdWPVY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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
#RNL26
Haque @HopkinsRheum
1/2 of Americans will be obese by 2030
"Obesity is common & obesity is expensive"
Adipose tissue - active endocrine organ -> cytokines, chemokines, adipokines
Leads to inflamm axis - risk factor similar to 🚬, higher activity, worse response https://t.co/yQLTpE7reY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RT @Gibson_RheumPAC
GLP-1 receptor agonists do more than promote weight loss.
They impact insulin resistance, inflammation, cardiovascular risk—and may influence musculoskeletal disease. #RNL26 https://t.co/ypKnOJojAm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
RT @Gibson_RheumPAC
Nearly 50% of U.S. adults may meet criteria for obesity by 2030.
For rheumatologists, it directly impacts disease activity, outcomes, and treatment response. #RNL26 https://t.co/cpy4LBBPHc
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Study of 90 adolescents (46 w. Juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM) & 44 controls) finds that JFM pts have greater sensitivity to non-painful sensory stimuli, such as sounds and bright lights; such hypersensitivity is closely related to the severity of the disease and brain function https://t.co/KGqzRK6e4a
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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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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Longitudinal study of 1761 US military service pre- & post-deployment. The prevalence of fibromyalgia in Males/Females was 2.%/2% (sames as civilians) but post-deploy incr to 8%/11% (P < 0.001). PTSD incr from 21% /18% to 23%/26%. PTSD predeployment lead to a 3 fold risk of FM. https://t.co/XTjuhjx0zd
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
DARWIN study ADHD med use among children and adults in Europe (Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, UK) more than doubled betw 2010 to 2023. IN UK use went up 20X in females, 15X males. (Ed. note: ADHD meds-->poor sleep-->fibromyalgia-->MSK pains) https://t.co/KlvUF1vhhj https://t.co/yEWXwM0WBL
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
What Is Restless Legs Syndrome? JAMA Patient Education handout. https://t.co/fCqArVxrSu https://t.co/WjFNWyr9Q2
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Are JAK Inhibitors Better at Pain Relief in RA?
Among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who responded to upadacitinib (Rinvoq) or adalimumab, those receiving upadacitinib had significantly less residual pain with treatment, according to a post hoc analysis of phase III trial https://t.co/QrbwlxIm3d
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Acupuncture in SpA metanalysis of 35 RCTs (2,591 AS pts) showed statistically significant improvements BASDAI score, BASFI score, ASDAS, VAS score, CRP level, and ESR level. Findings imited by high heterogeneity & the lack of large-scale, high-quality RCTs. https://t.co/gznAiNo0k4
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Are JAK Inhibitors Better at Pain Relief in RA?
MedPage Today
Among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients responding to upadacitinib (Rinvoq) or adalimumab, those receiving the former had significantly less residual pain with treatment, according to a post-hoc analysis of phase III trial data.
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Review of Restless Legs Syndrome
JAMA has published a full read review of RLS - restless leg syndrome - a frequent, but often unrecognized, cause of poor sleep and the resultant hazards of insomnia.
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Dr. Cush provides a systematic approach to evaluating musculoskeletal and rheumatic complaints in clinical practice.
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I have been investigating the mechanisms of antinuclear antibody (ANA) expression in SLE since 1978. In this pursuit, I have followed the advice of my first division chief, Dr. Ralph Snyderman, a great academician. Ralph told me to identify a research focus and make it mine. I think I have done reasonably well in my mission so you can imagine my surprise (and excitement) when, for the Lupus 2025 meeting in Toronto, I was asked to conduct a Meet the Professor session on the Type 1 & 2 model for SLE.
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I recently heard of a secondary school assignment wherein students were challenged to “bury” a word that was no longer useful or appropriate. Their exercise has now evolved into an unofficial RheumNow task force to retire diagnostic terms that have grown into misuse in rheumatology and medicine.
How did we decide which words should perish? And by what criteria? Who has the final say?
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