Reefer Madness (12.12.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal and regulatory reports from this past week on RheumNow.com. B cell drugs in SLE and ITP, biomarkers in GCA & PSS and great videos by APPs.
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Retrospective EHR study of 38,327 COVID-19 infx pts & 1,143 whodeveloped post Covid Syndrome (PCC). PCC risk was signif higher in women & obese. Pre-COVID, psoriasis (OR 1.41) & RA (OR 1.64) had incr risk of PCC. Post COVID, more Sjögren’s (OR 4.05) among PCC. https://t.co/0Z48Hy43XY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Medical Cannabis for Pain Management
Recent research and publications have underscored the use, efficacy, safety and limitations to the use of cannabis for arthritis and pain patients.
https://t.co/kxTDqbzpgg https://t.co/fBumEAgISU
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Dr, Tuhina Neogi writes its time for a new understanding of OA; its not just wear n tear. Based on preclinical and clinical evidence, OA is a systemic, whole-body disease and that this should change future research and treatment of #OA. https://t.co/HQWI14WSXg https://t.co/5bIWgqaETU
Links:
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.
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WHO recommendations on GLP-1 agonists: 1) conditional recommendation - GLP-1 drugs can be used for for long-term obesity treatment by adults, except pregnant women; 2) GLP-1a use should be paired with a healthy diet and physical activity. Access to these drugs is a problem. https://t.co/jMa7rbJPby
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?
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Obesity-inflammation axis in PsO & PsA: obesity is assoc w/ less remission& poorer drug responses; possibly from adipokines, biomechanical stress, gut dysbiosis, etc. Notably, weight loss can improve both psoriatic disease course and response to therapy. https://t.co/cZbeu0zfmR https://t.co/EoCTNKk265
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
PROSPERO meta-analysis shows an effect of diet on #RA risk. 8 independent studies (n=270,121) showed a reduced risk of incident RA with Anti-inflammatory (OR 0.56; 0.31–0.99), Mediterranean (OR 0.88; 0.78–0.99), and HEI (OR 0.60; 0.25–1.47), but not DASH diets https://t.co/qf4kTVyJ0m
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
PROSPERO meta-analysis shows an effect of diet on #RA risk. 8 independent studies (n=270,121) showed a reduced risk of incident RA with Anti-inflammatory (OR 0.56; 0.31–0.99), Mediterranean (OR 0.88; 0.78–0.99), and HEI (OR 0.60; 0.25–1.47), but not DASH diets https://t.co/Qr9lXWRAED
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels and Lupus Outcomes
MedPage Today
Lupus patients entering a prospective cohort study with low vitamin D levels faced doubled all-cause mortality risk and tripled risk for major cardiovascular events during follow-up averaging 6 years, researchers said.
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Treating During Pregnancy (11.14.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the journal articles, news and guidelines from this past week on RheumNow.com
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Weight Loss as a Therapeutic Goal in PsA
PsA is a complex inflammatory disease often complicated by obesity, which not only worsens disease activity but also impairs treatment response. At #ACR25, 3 compelling studies spanning pharmacologic, lifestyle, and longitudinal https://t.co/Q6IFGn5zCI
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Accelerated Aging in Rheumatic Disease: From Biology to Lifestyle Intervention
At #ACR25, the session “27M02: Nutrition for Rheumatic Disease: Where Aging Biology, Sarcopenia, and Diet Intersect” invited the audience to view rheumatic disease through the lens of biological https://t.co/OIgh8JQsFa
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
GLP-1 and SGLT-2: Treatments Too Good to Ignore?
Dr. Peter Nash reviews several studies presented on GLP-1s at #ACR25. He recommends for review abstracts: 0841, 0849, 1027, 2685, 0165, 0233 and 2658.
https://t.co/OclO05bpku https://t.co/kASID9jnAP
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ACR 2025 Rheumatology Round Up
Drs. Jack Cush & Arthur Kavanaugh, two of rheumatology’s most trusted voices, provide a breakdown of the latest breakthroughs and hottest topics in rheumatology from the 2025 ACR Convergence meeting in Chicago.
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ACR25 Best Abstracts - Day 4
Here's the last installment of our "ACR Best" abstracts as chosen by the RheumNow faculty. Most of these were from the final, day 4, but a few were noteworthy holdovers from day 3. Enjoy!
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GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in PsA: Mortality and MACE https://t.co/GtTGHY7j5g
@synovialjoints discussed TriNetX data base looking at GLP-1 medications effect on MACE in PsA patients.
@RheumNow
#ACR25
Nouf Al hemmadi @NoufAhmedAlham2( View Tweet )
In a PsA cohort (n=1291), higher BMI was independently linked to lower odds of achieving MDA—especially in TNFi-treated patients. Impact was strongest in pain, skin, enthesitis, and PRO domains, not swollen joints. Each unit increase in BMI reduced MDA odds by 4–7%. Highlights https://t.co/TxO3HP51uk
Antoni Chan MD (Prof) @synovialjoints( View Tweet )
Abstract 2687: GLP-1 RA in PsA
In combined Toronto + NYU cohort, GLP-1 RA significantly associated with reduced:
- Weight, CRP, and pain scores
- Each 1% reduction in body weight associated w/ TJC, DAPSA, EQ-5D (QoL), LDL, Systolic BP
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/30lPDkALKs
Akhil Sood MD, MS @AkhilSoodMD( View Tweet )
Biologic choice in PsA: consider factoring in obesity ⚖️
Abstract 2691: In a longitudinal cohort study, obesity associated with ↓ odds of achieving minimal disease activity (MDA) among pts on TNFi, but not with other DMARDs
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/p4KaH6HKYj
Akhil Sood MD, MS @AkhilSoodMD( View Tweet )
Abstract 2690: Food as a Medicine
Mediterranean vs low-calorie DASH vs control diet in PsA (multicenter RCT):
🔹 All 3 groups showed significant weight loss & DAPSA by wk 24
🔹 Weight loss not diet type may be the driver of clinical improvement
@RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/rBS3HR1HXl
Akhil Sood MD, MS @AkhilSoodMD( View Tweet )
#2660 In >8000 women, serum urate rose sharply during the menopausal transition, then plateaued after menopause.
Hyperuricemia reached 4-5% post-menopause, up to 18% in obesity or low eGFR.
Healthy body weight & kidney function pre-menopause may decrease HU later @RheumNow #ACR25 https://t.co/v6ai3lgAd2
Mrinalini Dey @DrMiniDey( View Tweet )
In PsA patients, GLP-1 RA therapy led to significant weight loss and improvements in CRP, pain, lipids, and blood pressure. PsA outcomes improved proportionally with weight loss. Regression analyses revealed that each 1% reduction in body weight was associated with significant https://t.co/Pph1PjfOve
Antoni Chan MD (Prof) @synovialjoints( View Tweet )
#2658 In >870k adults with T2DM or obesity, GLP-1 receptor agonists showed no increase in autoimmune or inflammatory disease risk, and were instead linked to lower mortality, heart failure, stroke and dementia. Excellent real-world safety signals. @RheumNow #ACR25
Mrinalini Dey @DrMiniDey( View Tweet )
Recent Blogs
Comorbidities can pile up like a stack of blocks for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). At the time when RA is diagnosed, they already have more comorbidities than their peers, and after RA diagnosis they accumulate comorbidities faster than their peers.
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