Emergencies, Independence & Hemorrhage (1.23.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from the past two weeks on RheumNow.Com
Read Article
Evaluation of pts w/ muscle weakness and elevated muscle enzymes https://t.co/faTWMscUzz https://t.co/Dcx8m4Ny7Y
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Drugs that may cause toxic myopathy, presenting as muscle dysfunction w/ weakness and elevated muscle enzymes and possibly confused w/ idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) - full read review of mimickers of myositis. https://t.co/1Yn3OXXEH6 https://t.co/HmQiYFSQMU
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Evaluation of pts w/ muscle weakness and elevated muscle enzymes https://t.co/1Yn3OXXEH6 https://t.co/qsTr4U1xV7
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Drugs that may cause toxic myopathy, presenting as muscle dysfunction w/ weakness and elevated muscle enzymes and possibly confused w/ idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) - full read review of mimickers of myositis. https://t.co/3wdLvkxcAX https://t.co/OqLjv45HXH
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
The 2025 Rheumatology Year in Review
The year 2025 presented numerous advances in rheumatology and related inflammatory and autoimmune disorders ranging from several new groundbreaking FDA approvals/indications, drug developments, game-changing guidelines and practices that will impact patient care for rheumatic diseases.
Read Article
Anti-mitochondrial M2 Ab (AMA-M2) in 987 IIM pts-- 55 (6%) were AMA-M2 positive. AMA-M2+ had signif. higher rates of polymyositis (56% vs 23.5%), GGT, alk phos levels, & 3 fold more cardiac involvement (60 vs 13%) (arrhythmias, CHF, pulm HTN (31-56%), but no effect on survival https://t.co/8fQzgRfHr4
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
2026 Resolutions (1.9.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, announcements and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com. More on Variable bendability, a better way to treat RA, and a novel advance for GLP1a in PsA; and 2026 Resolutions!
Read Article
Best of 2025: ERS/EULAR guidelines for CTD-related interstitial lung disease
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) have published clinical practice guidelines for the evaluation and management of connective tissue diseases (CTD) associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) in two simultaneous publications in
Read Article
Best of 2025: Dermatomyositis Reviewed
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have published an open-access review of dermatomyositis (DM) - its manifestations, hallmark cutaneous features, etiopathogenesis and treatment options.
Read Article
APPs in the news (12.5.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from https://t.co/V10S4oVFsv, including info on scleroderma, dermatomyositis and malignancy, rheumatologist and APP salaries concerns.
https://t.co/znsjhTqTEv https://t.co/F0eu5w232C
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
APPs in the News (12.5.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow.com, including info on scleroderma, dermatomyositis and malignancy, rheumatologist and APP salary concerns.
Read Article
Scandinavian study of > 13.6 million PYs shows NO increased risk of myositis after SARS-CoV-2 (mRNA & adenoviral vector) vaccines. Data from 101 myositis events in 7,002 398 unvaccinated PYs. Adj IRR 180d risk was 0.84 (0.63–1.11) and 1.31 (0.72–2.36) respectively https://t.co/D5KVyvXaot
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Retrospective study of 39 pts w/ MDA5 + DM-ILD Rx w baricitinib. 31 (79.5%) had improvement in Gottron’s, heliotrope, dyspnea, HRCT score, ferritin, LDH, steroid dose & 6 mo survival (87% vs. 70%, p = 0.047). https://t.co/RCTbBsCkeV https://t.co/dF8I0gF4Dy
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Turkey Tryptophan (11.28.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and reports from this past week on RheumNow.com, including reports on FDA resurrections, FM seasonal worsening, and do you fight switch or swap biologics in PsA TNFi nonresponders?
Read Article
Retrospective study of 39 pts w/ MDA5 + DM-ILD Rx w baricitinib. 31 (79.5%) had improvement in Gottron’s, heliotrope, dyspnea, HRCT score, ferritin, LDH, steroid dose & 6 mo survival (87% vs. 70%, p = 0.047). https://t.co/RCTbBsCkeV https://t.co/K49cEmeRk3
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Retrospective study of 39 pts w/ MDA5 + DM-ILD Rx w baricitinib. 31 (79.5%) had improvement in Gottron’s, heliotrope, dyspnea, HRCT score, ferritin, LDH, steroid dose & 6 mo survival (87% vs. 70%, p = 0.047). https://t.co/8whN2I1hXh https://t.co/voSVzPQWUI
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Pulse Steroids and Mycophenolate in Juvenile Dermatomyositis
JAMA Dermatology has published a pilot study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of intermittent intravenous methylprednisolone pulse (IVMP) therapy plus mycophenolate in 28 patients with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).
Read Article
Treating During Pregnancy (11.14.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the journal articles, news and guidelines from this past week on RheumNow.com
Read Article
Hospital Mortality in Dermatomyositis
A cohort study shows that hospitalized patients with dermatomyositis have higher in-hospital mortality in the presence of active rash, interstitial lung disease, and elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio at admission.
Dermatomyositis (DM) has significiant
#ACR25 Abstr#LB14 Promising therapy BMS-986353, a CD19 CAR-T in Severe Refractory Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies. 11/12 had evaluable data; muscle, skin and ILD improved. 1 x G2 CRS, 1 G3 ICANS. Longer FU needed and larger sample @RheumNow https://t.co/zAG23tAsbL
Links:
Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof @Yuz6Yusof( View Tweet )
#ACR25 Abstr#0773 Anti-MDA5 ab is assoc. with progressive DM-ILD. But MDA5 expression is also upregulated in IPF. Any new biomarker which can link these ILD?
Measuring reactivity to MDA5 (aa 201-300) epitope peptide may help identify poor ILD prognostics (with/out DM) @RheumNow https://t.co/rziwihKfIr
Links:
Md Yuzaiful Md Yusof @Yuz6Yusof( View Tweet )
Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy @EleniTiniakou #ACR25
*Younger pts tend to have a more aggressive disease
*IVIG and RTX can be considered first-line rx for anti-HMGCR and anti-SRP+, respectively
*CYC and plasmapheresis may be options in cases of aggressive disease https://t.co/zWDX79gqlf
Rheumatology Quarterly @RheumQuarterly( View Tweet )
Eating Crow (10.10.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, FDA approvals, and journal articles. In this episode: HMGCR Abs, FDA approvals and Cush eats crow.
Read Article
Whole Body MRI for Arthritis
Whole-body MRI (wbMRI) reviews have increasingly appeared in the medical literature, owing to better scanners, faster imaging times and reduced costs. Used of such non-oncologic musculoskeletal imaging provides high-contrast resolution images of the entire body or selected regions screening,
Read ArticleRecent Blogs
Winning is everything – in football and in medicine. Rheumatologists have achieved many successes but still struggle to win against a handful of rheumatic foes. This retrospective examines past wins and losses and helps us to look ahead to a new season.
Read Post
