Rheumatoid Arthritis

Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
Polish study compared comorbidities #s in incident RA & PsA. RA pts were older at dx (61 vs 44 yrs) & may drive higher rates in RA. 23/3 comorbidities (74%) were signif more prevalent in RA, including HTN (18 v 12%), ischemic HD (11 v 6%), cerebrovascular dz (4 vs 2%) https://t.co/l0RW6bVVHd
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
No difference in MACE risk betw TNFi vs JAKi in 6174 RA pts. Korean claims data compared TNFi (n 5,152) vs JAKi (n 1,022) initiators. MACE risk was 4.1 & 3.6/1000PYs w/ TNFi vs JAKi, respectively. MACE risk did not differ significantly between JAKi and TNFi (adj HR 0.636; 0.283, https://t.co/035WSUQAhJ
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
Placebo beats probiotics in PsA. And nearly 90% of well-controlled RA patients may be able to cut their targeted therapy dose in half. Dr. Jack Cush breaks down the findings worth a closer look in this week's RheumNow podcast, Troubles with ‘Gut Feelings’. Probiotics in PsA: https://t.co/Aqy4HxGHbU
Article

‘Tis the Season for Vaccination

Eric Dein, MD

As the leaves start changing color and spooky decorations populate neighborhood doorsteps, another autumnal tradition begins: vaccination counseling. Fall offers a golden opportunity to protect our patients before respiratory viruses fill our waiting rooms. In patients with rheumatologic

Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
Can DMARD Doses Be Safely Reduced for RA Patients? Close to 90% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) well controlled on targeted therapies were able to take 50% dosage reductions without experiencing worsened disease activity in a randomized trial, South Korean https://t.co/MyjZdRaGb4
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
Study of Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) in 984 RA pts shows PNI is independently inversely corelated w/ RA dz activity, esp. PNI <45. PNI = ser albumin & lymphocyte count calculation (10 × s albumin [g/dL]) + (0.005 × lymphocyte count/mm³]). Other studies have shown modest https://t.co/AV3AGXwSfg
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
French National Health System study of 214,892 #RA pts (~40K on TNFi) found 562 demyelinating events (2008-2023) w/ cumulative 10 yr incidence of 0.32% w/ csDMARDs & 0.50% w/ TNFi (HR 1.47;1.11-1.95). Demyelinating events are rare in RA, but signif higher w/ TNFi https://t.co/6vUy5nsQ27
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
? value of FamHx in Rheum evals? My bias is that few Dz are heritable - #Ank Spondylitis, #gout, DIP Osteoarthritis! But literature says there's high heritability for SLE, RA, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren's, & autoimmune endocrinopathies. WHAT do you think? https://t.co/WGyQqpY1qX
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
Can DMARD Doses Be Safely Reduced for RA Patients? Close to 90% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) well controlled on targeted therapies were able to take 50% dosage reductions without experiencing worsened disease activity in a randomized trial, South Korean https://t.co/GGPOBhVhJe
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
T-cell engager blinatumomab (CD3xCD19 TCE) was used for Deep B-cell depletion in 15 resistant RA pts (MDR-RA). @wk 12 9/15 CDAI LDA, 3/15 CDAI remission. Synovial B cells were depleted (4 of 5 biopsies) but not in lymph nodes. Later, 14/15 flared. No ICANs, 3/15 w/ CRS (gr 1) https://t.co/xLGZjkMmit
Article

Don’t Hold the JAK (10.9.2026)

Jack Cush, MD

On this week's podcast, Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news: Steroids are easy to start and hard to stop; hold the MTX but not the biologic or JAK, weighing in on avacopan, and age-old messages for old-age patients. 

Article

Can DMARD Doses Be Safely Reduced for RA Patients?

MedPage Today

Close to 90% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) well controlled on targeted therapies were able to take 50% dosage reductions without experiencing worsened disease activity in a randomized trial, South Korean researchers said.

Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
T-cell engager blinatumomab (CD3xCD19 TCE) was used for Deep B-cell depletion in 15 resistant RA pts (MDR-RA). @wk 12 9/15 CDAI LDA, 3/15 CDAI remission. Synovial B cells were depleted (4 of 5 biopsies) but not in lymph nodes. Later, 14/15 flared. No ICANs, 3/15 w/ CRS (gr 1) https://t.co/ddLb7lIHka
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
Remission — believe it or not. What’s happening in rheumatology this week? Dr. Jack Cush breaks down the latest news and journal reports on RheumNow: 10-year T2T data: 82% in remission Residual steroids don’t preserve remission Biologics linked to lower PsA risk GLP-1s + knee OA https://t.co/2Zf9g1Wehg
Dr. John Cush Tweet
@RheumNow
The weight is off, the DMARDs are off - now what? Sometimes it’s only when we have effective solutions that we have to think about what to do next. And when that happens, remember why we do things in the first place. In an era when weight loss is happening on scale, now we need https://t.co/MTjU5YRS5q

Therapeutic Updates

Make Rheum for Rads: Autoimmune ILD Diagnosis, Monitoring, and the Patient Experience

Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
ild
Drs. Elizabeth Volkmann and Robert Suh explore the roles rheumatologists and radiologists play in diagnosing and monitoring autoimmune ILD and hear from a patient about her experience.
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A JAKi After TNFi Failure in RA: SELECT-SWITCH at Week 12

Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
AbbVie August RX Update
Dr. Christina Charles-Schoeman and Dr. Manish Jain are back to discuss treatment considerations after TNFi failure in RA. Join them as they review the latest data from SELECT-SWITCH, including post hoc results in primary and secondary nonresponders presented at EULAR 2026.
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Expert insights on the 2024 ACR Guideline recommendations for lupus nephritis

Sponsored by Aurinia
Aurinia 2026 May RX Update
Two experts in lupus care offer a balanced perspective on applying the updated ACR Guideline recommendations and the clinical nuances of managing lupus nephritis.
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Recent Blogs

rheumthought

Treatment for Obesity and Inflammation, but at what Cost?

Jonathan Kay, MD
Kay RT cover still

The costs of GLP-1 agonists must come down in order to make these treatments available to the people who need them - including many people with rheumatologic diseases. 

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rheumthought

Obesity in Rheumatic Diseases: More than just a Comorbidity

Marina Magrey, MD
Magrey RT cover image
A few years ago, when I would see a patient with rheumatic disease and increased BMI, I would often document it as obesity as a comorbidity, recommend weight loss and exercise, and then move on. My approach has changed.
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Advanced Practice Rheum

Safety of Biologics and Novel Agents

Jack Cush, MD
APR Safety Video Cover
Dr. Jack Cush reviews safety of biologics and novel agents.
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Podcasts

  • EULAR 2026 RA Topic Panel
  • RA Topic Podcast compilation
  • EULAR 2026 Daily Podcast Day 4c

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