Doubting RS3PE (8.14.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles this week where RheumNow featured info on cancer, deadly viruses, AI rules, poetry and good moons rising.
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🔍What do long-term treatment data show about reducing flares in GCA?
See the results of continuous JAKi treatment for up to 2 years in this post hoc analysis from SELECT-GCA: https://t.co/VPCqzvm9oh
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact. https://t.co/N5wmillkKX
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Updated Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Use in Medical Publications
JAMA has updated its guidance for the acceptable use of artificial intelligence (AI) in authoring a medical publication. Despite growing AI use, very low rates of disclosure of AI use have been reported. https://t.co/irid5koIjo
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
2026 PGY1 match for non–US citizen international medical graduates (IMGs) has reached a 5-year low; yet US health care relies heavily on non–US-born MDs. In US, there are 6300 Rheumatologists - 46.9% US born USMG; 5.4% US born IMG; 11.2% non-US born USMG; 36.5% non-US born IMG https://t.co/cwx5ugBaVE
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Evaluating Inflammatory Joint Pain in Older Adults
Lee, Levinson, and Makris have published an approach to evaluating inflammatory joint pain in older adults in JAMA Internal Medicine. While intended to be a practical guide for Primary Care Clinicians (PCCs), the tenets and https://t.co/TPKEOjkcKl
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Wealth and Where you Live Influences Outcomes
Patients from wealthier European countries tend to start treatment with biologics earlier but also stop or switch treatment earlier. They also experience lower disease activity at treatment start than patients in middle- and https://t.co/MyzWRx580R
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
What's New in Lyme Disease
JAMA has published an overview of new considerations on Lyme disease, focusing on Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Prevention.
https://t.co/jG09wc6gI8 https://t.co/rQBW6RIz5U
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
"Be so good they can't ignore you." - Steve Martin https://t.co/lMRAY57rW9
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
2026 BSR Pain Guideline: What Rheumatologists Need to Know
The British Society for Rheumatology has issued its first guideline dedicated solely to pain in inflammatory arthritis (IA)—covering RA, PsA, axial SpA and JIA.
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Updated Guidance for Artificial Intelligence Use in Medical Publications
JAMA has updated its guidance for the acceptable use of artificial intelligence (AI) in authoring a medical publication. Despite growing AI use, very low rates of disclosure of AI use have been reported. This update provides specific information about what is permitted and not permitted, and
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From 1975 -2025, incidence of Kawasaki dz (KD) increased 16.1-fold in Japan, KD cases 15 032 and& 14 809 in 2023 & 2024, but during COVID #s dropped to 10 333 in 2022. KD #s rebounded after the COVID-19: Infants showed minimal changes, but kids 5-9 had the greatest increase https://t.co/j0BL2ZELXn
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Evaluating Inflammatory Joint Pain in Older Adults
Lee, Levinson, and Makris have published an approach to evaluating inflammatory joint pain in older adults in JAMA Internal Medicine. While intended to be a practical guide for primary care clinicians, the tenets and clues ring true for all.
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Wealth and Where you Live Influences Outcomes
EurekAlert!
Patients from wealthier European countries tend to start treatment with biologics earlier but also stop or switch treatment earlier. They also experience lower disease activity at treatment start than patients in middle- and low-income countries.
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Multimodal & multidisciplinary Tx (MMT) are underutilized in adults w/ chronic pain. Study of 347 Chr pain pts - 60% used non-opioid meds; 29% used opioids & only 11% MMT. Older age & high intensity pain assoc w/ Opioids. MMT had more complex pain w/ greater pain interference, https://t.co/iF0UQeut9b
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
JAMA has updated its guidance for the acceptable use of AI in authoring a Medical Publication. Despite growing AI use, very low rates of disclosure of AI use have been reported. This is about what is permitted & not permitted & what needs to be disclosed. https://t.co/zti0OnvBV0 https://t.co/Y1C3MfJ27c
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
JAMA Patient Education Page on:
Therapeutic Use of Cannabis and Cannabinoids https://t.co/s6F7B9qLfr https://t.co/lpLGozJgvi
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
What's New in Lyme Disease
JAMA has published an overview of new considerations on Lyme disease, focusing on Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Prevention.
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POETYK PsA-1: Deucravacitinib in Biologic-NaĂŻve PsA
POETYK PsA-1 trial tested the disease modifying efficacy of deucravacitinib, a tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients and was shown to be superior vs to placebo for clinical responses, patient-reported outcomes, and structural damage inhibition in PsA.
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NSAIDs reduces age-related macular degeneration. TriNetX study (2015-2024) looked at non-AMD pts & showed NSAID use (n 634794) had signif less AMD at 6 mos (HR 0.31), 1 yr (0.36), 3 yrs (0.42) & 5 yrs (0.48); w/ signif protective effect (HR 0.58), Same for ASA (0.72) & https://t.co/Cgxrz92Omt
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Rethinking Treatment of EGPA
Like MPA & GPA, the goals of EGPA are controlling initial organ damage and preventing relapse. But EGPA has the added challenge of chronic upper and lower respiratory tract involvement, allergic type 2 inflammations and risk of glucocorticoid https://t.co/KIVpyhsghg
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
“We may have all come on different ships; but we’re in the same boat now.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
U Alberta Rheumatology study of GCAPS score in 62 new onset, suspected GCA referrals. GCA Dx in 39 pts excluded in 23. 50% had a High risk GCAPS (screening) score, 38% Intermediate & 13% had Low risk GCAPs. Intermediate or High risk GCAPS sensitivity 97%, specificity 30%, PPV 70% https://t.co/gKD1Je3QRH
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
True or False: In a 6-month RCT for refractory ITP, combining baricitinib with danazol achieved a durable response rate more than double that of danazol monotherapy. Take this week's RheumIQ quiz at https://t.co/yQn8cIT5Cw to see if you got it right! https://t.co/MJSw1gYUob
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Top 20 Best Rheumatology Hospitals
U.S. News & World Report has published its Best Hospitals for 2026-2027, listing the best among many specialties, including rheumatology. At the top of the list are Johns Hopkins Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), https://t.co/IjGwcDQehq
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Therapeutic Updates
5-Year Results of an IL-23 Inhibitor in Patients With PsA
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
Dr. Alvin Wells and Dr. Shikha Singla share their clinical perspectives on using an IL–23 inhibitor to manage patients with PsA throughout their treatment journey in the context of 5-year data from the KEEPsAKE trial program.
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Sjögren’s Disease – What Are You Missing?
Sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
What could you be missing in Sjögren's disease? Explore hypothetical patient cases with atypical presentations, systemic manifestations, and overlooked symptoms. Gain expert insights and practical tips for clinical assessment from Dr Shereen Mahmood and learn how the ESSDAI can help you measure disease activity.
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Recent Blogs
At first, it seemed similar to many other such sessions – a circle of folding chairs, a group of colleagues whose visages exuded understanding and acceptance – but this was special. I started the meeting…. “Hi, my name is Artie.”
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Podcasts
Systemic Burden of Gout Part 1
Gout Lessons from the Clinic Part 2
Upgrading & Maximizing the Classics (Colchicine, Allopurinol, etc.)
