Early RA Referral Clinics Work (9.18.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com
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ACR Updates Osteoarthritis Guidance
ACR
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released updated clinical guidance for the treatment and management of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, hip, and hand. The evidence-based recommendations update the 2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline and are designed to support individualized,
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Review of HLA-B27
HLA-B27 remains the dominant genetic link to spondyloarthritis (SpA) across the age spectrum, but B27 related clinical expression diverges between children and adults. New mechanistic data on autoreactive T cells, HLA-B27 misfolding, and gut-joint trafficking point to new plausible, targetable
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Data presented at 2027 ASMBS meeting showed betw 2020-2024, wt loss surgeries dropped 23%, from 230,000 in 2022 to 177,000 in 2024. Less than 1% of eligible pts are now having weight-loss surgery https://t.co/UnYIIBDdnz https://t.co/FuwnOuBUeY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Added IVIG is Effective in Myositis
A small randomized controlled trial demonstrates that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) added to cortocosteroids lead to greater and faster improvements in patients with newly
Early RA Referral Clinics Work!
An outcomes study from the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic (EAC) has shown substantially less diagnostic delay and better long-term outcomes when patients are referred to EAC compared to usual referrals.
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EBR Journal Club: Dapirolizumab Pegol in SLE (PHOENYCS GO)
The EBR Journal Club Companion applies my adapted version of the JAMA approach to critical appraisal to an important RCT in rheumatology. Each review covers four domains: Does this apply to my patients? What is the risk https://t.co/Pi45T99oJm
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
AI Diagnosing Rheumatic Disease?
Prof. Valmed, a large language model (LLM) cleared by European regulators for medical diagnosis, outperformed human physicians for diagnosing rheumatologic conditions in terms of speed but not accuracy, a randomized trial showed. https://t.co/WVKlRGHFL1
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Weight Loss Improves Psoriatic Disease Substantially!
Even before the introduction of incretin therapy and bariatric surgery, many randomized and interventional studies (2019–2026) have consistently showed that weight loss produces clinically meaningful, dose-dependent improvement in both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
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A Day of Infamy (9.11.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on Rheumnow.com - including obesity, disappointing durability with GLP-1 drugs, AI diagnoses and worries about CV risk in ANCA-associated vasculitis. And take this week's RheumIQ quiz
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RCT 451 chronic LBP in general practice shows 8-wk telehealth mindfulness reduced pain intensity and interference at 6 months compared with usual care, BUT changes did not meet the prespecified mean 1-point MCID between groups. Is it worth doing? https://t.co/H4oYTeq1is https://t.co/cozq7gGnYO
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
JAMA: Review of Adult Rheumatoid Arthritis
Smolen, Kerschbaumer, Aletaha, and Robinson have published a comprehensive review article of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in JAMA, noting significant changes to our understanding and treatment guidelines.
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Physician SURVEY> When prescribing a generic, where do you refer the Patient?
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
ACP Position Statements on the Ethics of AI in Medical Practice
Recently JAMA updated its guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) in medical publications. Now, the ACP has published a position paper regarding the use and ethical considerations for the use of AI in medical https://t.co/J6qgfI2Sgt
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
AI Diagnosing Rheumatic Disease?
MedPage Today
Prof. Valmed, a large language model (LLM) cleared by European regulators for medical diagnosis, outperformed human physicians for diagnosing rheumatologic conditions in terms of speed but not accuracy, a randomized trial showed.
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ACP Position Statements on the Ethics of AI in Medical Practice
Recently JAMA updated its guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) in medical publications. Now, the ACP has published a position paper regarding the use and ethical considerations for the use of AI in medical practice.
Read Article
Treating Obesity is Disease-Modifying (9.4.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com. New drugs approved, new drugs halted and some drugs out of control. Ready to test your knowlege? Take this week's quiz!
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BMI Affects JAK Inhibitor Responses in Rheumatoid Arthritis
A meta-analysis of Janus kinase (JAKi) inhibitors clinical trials in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has shown higher BMI was associated with poorer responses and a reduced treatment benefit with JAK inhibitors in RA patients.
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Music and Pain Relief
If laughter is the best medicine, then music has to be second best. A new scoping review in Pain Reports by Bradt et al., examines the effect of music-based interventions (MBIs) on pain management. While its efficacy is well established, how or why music relieves pain has never been fully
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“ABCDE” Approach to Difficult-to-Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
The proposed approach to difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis is based on the EULAR definition (having failed 2 or more b/tsDMARDs). The authors provide guidance in the form of an easy acronym, A B C D E, which covers both diagnostic and therapeutic considerations.
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Novartis & BMS CAR-T Cell Trials on Hold
Reuters and the Wall Street Journal report that both Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) have paused their autoimmune disease CAR-
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Rheums! Do you have a Rheumatology question or case for Dr. Cush? Record it here, and we may feature it on an upcoming podcast. Tell us your name and where you practice rheumatology.
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Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
EUSTAR Registry - Cancer in Systemic Sclerosis
Cancer is a major cause of mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). A nested case-control study within EUSTAR registry shows distinct patterns of cancer related temporally to SSc, serologic profiles and traditional cancer risk factors.
Cancers were
FDA Approves Brepocitinib to Treat Dermatomyositis
The FDA and Priovant recently annouced approval of brepocitinib (Lisraya), a JAK1/TYK2 inhibitor, for the indication of adults with dermatomyositis (DM). This is the first oral (once daily) agent approved for DM.
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NME: New Molecular Entities (8.28.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com. Take this week's RheumIQ and test your knowledge!
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Lupus Nephritis
Sponsored by RheumNow
View our six video perspectives on lupus nephritis, including Management of CKD in Lupus Nephritis.
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Women in Rheumatology: Gender Issues in Disease and Management
Sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb
Nine videos discussing gender differences in axSpA, PsA, Vasculitis, Lung Disease, Osteoporosis, Disparities in Healthcare, and Rheumatologic Activity and Treatment, are now available.
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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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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
Better Gout Management
