Rheum Scholarship (8.21.2026)
Dr. Cush reviews the news and journal articles from this past week on RheumNow.com; talking about lumbar belts, scholarships and misdiagnosis.
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JAMA: Review of Shoulder Pain
JAMA Internal Medicine (Haas et al, 2026) has published a clinical overview to the approach, diagnosis and management of Shoulder Pain.
https://t.co/xYSahFksx9 https://t.co/kTIml2mD6k
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
A Tribute to Thomas A. Medsger Jr., MD (1936–2026)
The rheumatology and scleroderma communities mourn the loss of Dr. Thomas A. Medsger Jr., who died August 15, 2026, in Pittsburgh, at age 89.
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RHEUMATOLOGIST Survey Q> For Sjogrens disease, what therapy do you most commonly use? Click here: https://t.co/XJEsqoSlbn https://t.co/FvlOqwl2aD
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Rheum Survey >> What therapy do you most commonly use to treat Sjogrens disease? Answer here: https://t.co/XJEsqoSlbn
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Rheumatoid Arthritis
RA confers a 50–100% excess risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with the general population, with adjusted hazard/odds ratios ranging from 1.3–2.2 across large cohort studies (Vojinovic, Askling, Antovic; Rheumatology, 2026).
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2026 Medscape report on Nurse practitioners shows nearly half of NPs are burned out, and for 1 in 6, that exhaustion has curdled into something heavier: both burnout and depression. Worse, 63% of NPs don't believe relief is in sight https://t.co/G8N5YgOKyA
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Joint Pain Prevalence is not Declining
A current report from the national NHIS survey shows that over half of US adults diagnosed with arthritis reported moderate to severe joint pain.
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JAMA: Review of Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain affects 16% of adults annually and is the third most common musculoskeletal presentation in primary care. This new review reframes the diagnostic and therapeutic approach, moving away from pathoanatomic labels (rotator cuff tendinopathy, impingement, bursitis) toward the umbrella
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Rheum Survey >> What therapy do you most commonly use to treat Sjogrens disease? Answer here: https://t.co/XJEsqoSlbn
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
Efgartigimod Efficacy in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy
Today Argenx announced the results of their Phase 3 "ALKIVIA" study; demonstrating efficacy and safety of subcutaneous efgartigimod for Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy (IIM, AKA inflammatory myositis).
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Can Effective Psoriasis Therapy Prevent Psoriatic Arthritis?
A review article assesses and integrates mechanistic, imaging, and clinical evidence to examine whether effective treatment of psoriasis may modify the future risk of psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
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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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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 )
ZEUS Trial: IL-6 Inhibition Fails to Cut Cardiovascular Events
The phase 3 ZEUS trial (published in JAMA Dec. 2025) tested the IL-6 ligand inhibitor ziltivekimab in over 6,000 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and elevated hsCRP—a population enriched for an inflammatory driver of risk.
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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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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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NP Salaries: in 7 specialties, NPs now avg >$150,000/yr, with the avg annual salary surpassing $137,000 in 2026 according toBureau of Labor Statistics. https://t.co/LlGFxkvEj5 https://t.co/h5bKsrnm4k
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )
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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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-Naïve 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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Air Pollution Increases RA Activity and Flares
MedPage Today
In this study from Korea, levels of small particulate matter correlated with increased RA disease activity and risk for disease flares.
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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. Each year U.S. News Best Hospitals ranked hospitals in the U.S. in 14 adult specialties and for the 9th year in a row, Johns Hopkins Hospital in
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Keep HCQ Blood Levels Up to Avoid Cardiovascular Disease in Lupus
MedPage Today
People taking hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) showed markedly increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease when blood levels of the drug were low and when long-term adherence was poor, a prospective study showed.
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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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