A New RA Approval (8.1.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and a new treatment for RA from the FDA.
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Osteoporosis Drug May Lower Osteoarthritis Risk
A target trial emulation study using administrative claims suggests that romosozumab was associated with a lower risk of osteoarthritis than teriparatide among individuals with osteoporosis, particularly for knee osteoarthritis. https://t.co/fWWw2t2jzR
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
CKD & Osteoporosis Rx Revisited (7.25.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal and FDA updates from this past week on RheumNow.com.
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Osteoporosis Drug May Lower Osteoarthritis Risk
A target trial emulation study using administrative claims suggests that romosozumab was associated with a lower risk of osteoarthritis than teriparatide among individuals with osteoporosis, particularly for knee osteoarthritis.
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Osteoarthritis (OA) degenerative or inflammatory? 296 pts w/ Knee OA (age 63 yrs, 2/3 had poor oral hygien, K&L grade 2, pain >40). Periodontitis in 62.5% & signif assoc w/ Xray K&L grade 4 (OR 5.39), poor oral hygiene (OR 34), dental visits (OR 8.54), brushing time (OR 21.9) https://t.co/xXIr2qxtt4
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Americans choose short term relief for neck and back pain
EurekAlert!
New survey data from the Orlando Health Spine Center reveals a significant difference among Americans on how to manage neck and back pain. Respondents were split between relying on rest and reduced activity (44%), turning to over-the-counter pain
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1 in 5 Patients are Unaware of their Arthritis Diagnosis
Current CDC numbers suggest that arthritis (any type) affects an estimated 67.1 million (27.9% ) adults in the USA. Interestingly, 1 in 5 do not know their arthritis subtype (21.6%, 14.4 million).
This most recent analysis of the prevalence and distribution of arthritis subtypes
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Genicular nerve block (GNB) is effective intervention for Knee OA. Metanalysis of 6 RCTs & 420 KOA pts. GNB significantly reduced pain & improved function (p<0.003), w/ significant relief as early as 2wks and function by 12 weeks. https://t.co/wC2dPvVR7x https://t.co/HCFSXBfVGM
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Hmmm Really? (7.11.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week - some obvious, other new thoughts and some - hmmm, reallly?
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Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH)is a structural cause of dysphagia due to anterior cervical osteophytes. Retrospective study 208 dysphagia pts w/ head/neck CT. DISH was Dx in 39%; predicted by low serum albumin, COPD, & chronic pain https://t.co/zrn4dnCtLc https://t.co/svE6khmUEm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Genicular nerve block (GNB) is effective intervention for Knee OA. Metanalysis of 6 RCTs & 420 KOA pts. GNB significantly reduced pain & improved function (p<0.003), w/ significant relief as early as 2wks and function by 12 weeks. https://t.co/NMtiQPICpw https://t.co/gVJ0TyuY01
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ICYMI: ACP: Best Practice Advice on Cannabis or Cannabinoids Use for Chronic Noncancer Pain
The American College of Physicians published a best practice advisory on cannabis or cannabinoids in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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PCR: Prevalence, Cost, & Risk (6.27.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from last week on RheumNow.com
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Global burden of dz study - UN statistics show post-Menopausal women (PMW) are 20% of all women in 2021 (vs 13.7% 1990). From 1990 to 2021, the prevalence of MSK Dz in PMW significantly risen, especially for RA, OA, and gout. https://t.co/HdkopkxLdv https://t.co/wsGhg0P1tL
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Simple Measures are Effective in Knee Osteoarthritis
EurekAlert!
Knee braces, water therapy and exercise are the most promising non-drug therapies for treating knee osteoarthritis, according to a new meta-analysis publishing June 18, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Yuan Luo of the First People’s Hospital of Neijiang, China.
Knee
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Reviewing Three Osteoarthritis Studies
Dr. Janet Pope discusses abstracts POS0492, abstract POS0565, and abstract POS0612 presented at the EULAR 2025 meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
https://t.co/0qub4ITnxa https://t.co/uguzPSnvCR
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Intraarticular IL-1Ra Gene Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis
In a dose-escalation trial in nine participants, they observed that a single intra-articular injection of the gene product led to an increase in IL-1Ra in the synovial fluid that remained elevated for up to a year. There https://t.co/YDuUg44ebu
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Presenteeism and absenteeism in RA aren’t just about joints. In this UK study, comorbid anxiety, depression, and OA drove lost productivity.
Treating RA is not enough —holistic management matters.
POS0403 @RheumNow #EULAR2025
Jiha Lee @JihaRheum( View Tweet )
The relation between RA, comorbidities and presenteism
NRAS survey 891 RA pts
75% had at least one comorbidity
Absenteeism more likely if
One OR = 1.68 or Two OR = 2.26 comorbid conditions
In particular
Anxiety OR = 2.39
Depression OR = 1.75
Osteoarthritis OR = 1.85
Back
Aurelie Najm @AurelieRheumo( View Tweet )
What do we do when we see Rx signed of CPPD in RA pts? Do these pts have different trajectory?
Rx Retro study 388 patients RA
18% at least one sign CPPD
ns diff between seeonegative and seropositive pts
RA+CPPD group was
-older
-higher comorbidity score
-more likely to be https://t.co/DaW5DZoDzF
Aurelie Najm @AurelieRheumo( View Tweet )
Targets for OA pain pharmacotherapies
some by the wayside:
- NGF
- TrkA
but some very much in play and exciting:
- neurotrophin-3
- TRPV1
- Nav1.7, 1.8
Fiona Watt #EULAR2025 @RheumNow https://t.co/DXDKNnVRRo
David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
LEVI-04 (neutrophin-3 inhibitor presented as #ACR24 late-breaker in knee OA)
more good efficacy data, no rapidly progressive OA safety signal.
For us clinicians: impressive impact size, esp relative to alternatives.
Finally, something that works??
#EULAR2025 OP0374 @RheumNow https://t.co/iVdlwyaqrv
David Liew @drdavidliew( View Tweet )
Intraarticular IL-1Ra Gene Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis
In a dose-escalation trial in nine participants, they observed that a single intra-articular injection of the gene product led to an increase in IL-1Ra in the synovial fluid that remained elevated for up to a year. There https://t.co/qi0qHPd06j
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
🦵🏼💉LOSEIT study: liraglutide led to slight↑ in medial joint space width in knee OA vs placebo (0.22 vs 0.07 mm), but difference not statistically significant (p=0.17). More potent GLP-1RAs may be needed for greater improvement in structural knee OA
@RheumNow #EULAR2025 #OP0223
Mrinalini Dey @DrMiniDey( View Tweet )
▶️Erosive hand OA
🔺Gull-wing erosion @ DIPJs ✅
🔺Saw-tooth erosions @ PIPJs ✅
#OA #Osteoarthritis #EULAR2025 https://t.co/5Hh4Ki9P8V
Dr Gurdeep S Dulay @gurdeep_dulay( View Tweet )
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