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 )
Pain & age predict outcomes in #osteoarthritis
In a #cohort of 92 pts with #knee #OA
Factors were studied for response
Better
✅#NSAIDs or #acetaminophen v #opiates
✅Older
✅Lower #WOMAC PAIN & no sensitization
🤔help RCT inclusion
#EULAR2025 @RheumNow POS0612 @eular_org https://t.co/9I2JN9sgUe
Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
Repurposing drugs to #osteoarthritis
No jewel in the rough!
Most drugs - MTX, colchicine, TNFi, IL1i, etc are NEGATIVE or yield mixed results from diff #RCTs
Not sure this is the way forward for #OA drug discovery 💡
#EULAR2025 @RheumNow @eular_org
Abst#POS565 https://t.co/A6SdXtOo7v
Janet Pope @Janetbirdope( View Tweet )
Intraarticular IL-1Ra Gene Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis
De la Vega et al. have published in Science Translational Medicine the efficacy of an IL-1Ra gene therapy in adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
In a dose-escalation trial in nine participants, they observed that a single intra-articular injection of the gene
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MTX Fails Knee OA (6.6.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.
https://t.co/4FapDWtTIf https://t.co/lYoTXX9IEb
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Methotrexate Fails in Knee Osteoarthritis
We'll be blunt: methotrexate flopped in a randomized placebo-controlled trial among patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.
https://t.co/Y9elFXTkhN https://t.co/rs8wP7A1bv
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Methotrexate Fails in Knee Osteoarthritis
We'll be blunt: methotrexate flopped in a randomized placebo-controlled trial among patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.
https://t.co/Y9elFXTkhN https://t.co/oqDDVPGbh7
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
MTX Fails Knee OA (6.6.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com
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Methotrexate Fails in Knee Osteoarthritis
MedPage Today
We'll be blunt: methotrexate flopped in a randomized placebo-controlled trial among patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.
Contrary to results from a previous trial in hand OA, the old-line disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) failed to bring any improvement relative to placebo
Turkish study of 1263 primary care referrals to rheumatology found 35.7% with inflammatory rheumatic Dz (IRD), 17.7% osteoarthritis, and 11.2% regional pain syndromes. Another German study showed low risk of IRD if CRP <5 https://t.co/v5qYb7c7jP https://t.co/iq4NfcC3cH https://t.co/6lkTMSBUqc
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Periprosthetic femoral Fx (PPFF): metanalysis of 36 studies found PPFF risk factors: Uncemented stems (OR 3.36), major teaching hosp (2.0), female (1.6), obesity (1.4), Hi comorbidity(1.4), RA (1.89), (1.67), revised THR (2.6). OA = protective (0.51) https://t.co/y2BpH8LUb6 https://t.co/EjX6R9QTK3
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Risk Factors for Knee Osteoarthritis
New research from the University of Sydney reveals that obesity, having a knee injury and occupational risks such as shift work and lifting heavy loads are primary causes of knee osteoarthritis.
https://t.co/Kc686Zc8Xa https://t.co/PtyLU6jBkp
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Vitamin D Headlines (5.9.2025)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, journal reports and lupus highlights from the past week on RheumNow.com. Triple positivity, the gut and CRPS, and hope for better outcomes with Vitamin D therapy.
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