Skip to main content

Practice

Cancer Survival with TNF Inhibitors (3.28.2025)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com

Read Article

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Fibromyalgia

A randomized, sham-controlled trial has shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) reduced pain in fibromyalgia for up to 8 weeks; while analgesic effects waned, functional improvements remained during extended maintenance at week 16.

Read Article

Cardiac-MSK Patients at Highest Risk for Falls and Death

EurekAlert!

A new study by researchers at Peking University and the Chinese PLA General Hospital has found that multimorbidity—living with multiple chronic diseases—is closely associated with worsening fall conditions and mortality among middle-aged and older adults in China. The findings,

Read Article
Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Hip Fractures JAMA reviews the use of peripheral nerve block with hip fractures as an effective pain management strategy that can be performed by credentialed clinicians outside of the operating room. https://t.co/baeLWVxeUo https://t.co/ZBTVDT0jGR
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow( View Tweet )

Worse Outcomes in HLA-B27+ JIA

MedPage Today

Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who carried the HLA-B27 genetic marker tended to have worse long-term outcomes, including lower rates of drug-free remission, in a prospective Scandinavian study.

Read Article

Predicting Premature Death with Multimorbidity

Machine learning (ML) models were used to predict premature death in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of 2 or more chronic conditions. 

Read Article

Treating chronic inflammatory diseases with JAK inhibitors

Science Daily

Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) are an important treatment option for people with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Since their approval, the indications for these medical

Read Article

Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Hip Fractures

JAMA reviews the use of peripheral nerve block with hip fractures as an effective pain management strategy that can be performed by credentialed clinicians outside of the operating room.

Hip fractures are common, especially in older adults (≥65 years), and may include a 1-year mortality

Read Article
The British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) guidelines 2024 for the management of Sjogren’s Syndrome. Summary slide of key recommendations. https://t.co/qBuCFM8MnX https://t.co/DYgGzAgISa
Antoni Chan MD (Prof) @synovialjoints( View Tweet )
Dr. Swamy Venuturupalli, a Community Practice Innovation Award recipient, is transforming telehealth in rheumatology! His project introduces an innovative app that empowers patients to examine their own joints—making high-quality telehealth a seamless part of care. https://t.co/R5M4jtVz5m
Rheumatology Research Foundation @RheumResearch( View Tweet )

Autoimmune Disease Impact Report

Integrated Benefit Institute, a nonprofit independent research organization, has published its 2025 Autoimmune Disease Impact Report, which examines the health and productivity impacts of five prevalent and costly autoimmune conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis,

Read Article

Targeting Obesity in Rheumatic Disease Patients

Sattar et al. has published an informative overview of the effect of obesity on rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). They estimate that nearly 70% of RMD patients are overweight or obese.

Read Article

ERA, APPs, & Alpha GAL (3.21.2025)

Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.  Listen in for 2 new case questions - Ask Cush Anything.

Read Article

Disease activity during Pregnancy in Rheumatoid arthritis and Spondyloarthritis

A prospective French study of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients showed that most maintained stable disease activity during pregnancy, but over one-third flared and required major changes in treatment.

The aim of this study was to analyze disease activity and

Read Article

Increasing Prevalence of Osteoporosis

Research published in Osteoporosis International studied NHANES data showed increasing trends in osteoporosis in the United States of America. The key findings showed statistically significant results.

Read Article

NP and PA Growth in the USA

Forbes has published a thoughtful perspective on the declining number of US physicians and the growth in the number of advanced practice providers or APPs (nurse practitioners and physician assistants) in the US clinical workforce. Gastroenterologist Dr. Spencer Dorn writes that in the US, there

Read Article

Adrenal Dysfunction after Steroids in PMR and GCA Patients

JAMA has published a study of PMR and GCA patients who stopped glucocorticoid (GC) therapy and noted a low (1.2%) risk of GC-induced adrenal insufficiency after planned cessation.

GC are widespreadly and chronically used in rheumatology, often with the

Read Article

ACR Frustrated with Congress Failures on Physician Fee Schedule and Research Programs

ACR

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) expressed deep dissatisfaction that the recent passage of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, failed to address payment cuts imposed in the CY25 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) at the beginning

Read Article

PAFLAR Guidelines for Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

The Pediatric African League against Rheumatism (PAFLAR) initiative has published its guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA

Read Article

Axial Involvement in Psoriatic Arthritis

Analysis of a Greek Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) cohort shows that nearly one quarter of patients have axial involvement, and among them, ∼30% have isolated spinal axPsA and nr-axSpA, respectively.

Read Article

Mizoribine Effective in Lupus Nephritis

A randomized clinical trial has shown that oral mizoribine, a common immunosuppressant in Japan, was noninferior to intravenous cyclophosphamide (CTX) as induction therapy in patients with active lupus nephritis. 

Read Article

World Changers (3.14.2025)

Dr Jack Cush and his podcast friends are out to change the world. Here is his weekly review of the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.

Read Article

Channeling Bias and Cancer Risk with Biologic or Targeted Synthetic DMARDs

A retrospective US administrative claims cohort study of RA patients on tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis), non-TNFi biologics, or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) found a statistically significantly higher risk of incident cancer in patients receiving rituximab, abatacept, or JAKis (

Read Article

Earlier ACL reconstruction and a lower risk of knee osteoarthritis

EurekAlert!

A preclinical study by HSS investigators found that earlier anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction led to lower immune cell activity, less inflammation and fewer joint changes associated with knee osteoarthritis compared to delayed surgery. The research team shared their study

Read Article

Glucocorticoid Toxicity Index

Dr. John Stone has led the effort to develop the GTI - glucocorticoid toxicity index. In this review article he acknowledges the need and benefit of steroids, but details a novel means to identify and limit the untoward effects of glucorticoids (GC).

Read Article
×