Rare Diseases

RheumNow Podcast - Top 13 Rheumatology Centers (7-31-20)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and TOP 13 list of Best Rheumatology Hospitals.

Colchicine Benefits COVID-19 Patients

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A proof-of-concept study published in Annals of Rheumatic Disease suggests that colchicine significantly improves COVID-19 outcomes.

Efficacy and safety must be determined in controlled clinical trials.he outbreak of COVID-19 posed the issue of urgently identifying treatment strategies.

RheumNow Podcast – COVID-19 Responds to Steroids (7.24.20)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the News and Journal Reports from the past week on RheumNow.com.

Steroids and Tocilizumab in Cytokine Storm Syndrome

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A recent study from the Netherlands has shown that patients with severe COVID-19-associated cytokine storm syndrome (CSS)  with high dose steroids and tocilizumab had a faster recovery, less need for invasive mechanical ventilation and fewer deaths when compared to CSS patients receiving

RECOVERY Trial: Dexamethasone in COVID-19

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Inflammatory events following infection with SARS-CoV-2 can often worsen the morbid or mortal outcomes with COVID, yet it has been unclear if glucocorticoids may modulate inflammation-mediated damage and lung injury.  The RECOVERY trial reports that dexamethasone (DEX) use lowered 28-day

RheumNow Podcast – LTF – Listen to Fauci (7.17.20)

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Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news, tweets and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow. Let's dig into this week's 14 highlights.

Anti-Rheumatic Therapies for COVID-19 Infection

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Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic numerous anti-rheumatic therapies have been proposed as being potentially beneficial. The mechanistic effects of these agents, either presumed antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic effects, may benefit mitigate the damage seen with COVID-19

Growing Risk of COVID Among Adolescents

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The risk COVID-19 infection and mortality in the U.S. has been closely correlated with increasing age. However, recent data suggests that young adults (aged 18–25 years) have shown an increasing risk of COVID-19 infection since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Analysis of young

COVID's Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children

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Two recent reports further characterize the newly described, Kawasaki-like,  syndrome affecting children with COVID-19 infections.

The NEJM describes the childhood syndrome as having Kawasaki’s disease, fever, toxic shock syndrome, acute abdominal conditions, and encephalopathy; hence the label

RheumNow Podcast – Lupus Mortality Declines, But… (6.26.20)

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

ACR Outlines Best Practices for Kids With MIS-C

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Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 infection has both similarities and differences with Kawasaki disease, and requires distinct clinical management, according to draft guidance from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Age, symptoms,

RheumNow Podcast – Enough Already with Weaning (6.19.20)

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

Cosentyx FDA Approval for Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

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Yesterday the FDA approved secukinumab (Cosentyx) for the treatment of patients with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). There are now three agents that are FDA approved for nr-axSpA: certolizumab, ixekizumab and now, secukinumab. 

Canakinumab First FDA-Approved Therapy for Adult-Onset Still's Disease

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Yesterday, the FDA approved canakinumab (Ilaris) as treatment for adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), the first ever FDA approved drug for AOSD.

Canakinumab, an interleukin-1 inhibitor, was FDA approved in 2013 for use children (aged 2 years and older) with systemic juvenile idiopathic

Virtual EULAR 2020 Round Up

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In this week's podcast, Drs. Artie Kavanaugh and Jack Cush present highlights from the virtual EULAR2020 meeting held June 3-6, 2020. Featured reports include the SELECT-CHOICE study, the EXCEED trial, Avacopan in AAV, BeST mortality outcomes, BLISS-LN study, biosimilars and tofa in systemic

Day 3 - Top 5 from EULAR 2020

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These were my top abstracts from Thursday, 4th of June at EULAR 2020:

RheumNow Podcast - Rheumatic Patients with COVID (5.29.20)

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

TNR Grand Rounds - Cytokine Storm Syndromes

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This week's Tuesday Nite Rheumatology featured Dr Randy Cron from the University of Alabama - Birmingham as he spoke and took questions on the immunology, immunopathogenesis and treatment of Cytokine Storm Syndrome, especially as they relate to COVID-19 and rheumatic disease patients. The

Anti-TNF and CNS Events: The Link Strengthens

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Patients with autoimmune diseases who were treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors had an increased risk of developing inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) adverse events, a nested case-control study found.

Systemic Sclerosis Future Therapies and Outcome Measures

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Nagaraja, Khanna and colleagues have published an overview of current and future therapies in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and have reviewed the potential outcome measures for this difficult autoimmune disorder. Notably there have been several novel agents studied in recent years,

High Dose Anakinra Effective in COVID-19

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Anakinra was studied in 29 COVID(+) patients with respiratory distress and high inflammatory markers (CRP or ferritin) and compared to non-anakinra patients, those on anakinra had better survival (90% vs. 56% ;p=0·009) and greater improvements in CRP and pulmonary function (72% vs 50%) compared

RheumNow Podcast - COVID Kids and Men (5.15.20)

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

CDC on Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome

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The latest hazardous spinoff to the coronavirus infection is an inflammatory, Kawasaki-like syndrome unique to children or adolescents with COVID-19. Sporadic reports from around the globe of this severe pediatric COVID syndrome have littered the news with brief mentions and little detail.

Kids' COVID-Linked Ailment Is Not Your Typical Kawasaki Disease

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As data continue to emerge about a multi-system inflammatory disorder in children apparently connected to COVID-19, evidence is growing that this is not your typical Kawasaki disease.

In New York, up to 102 children have reportedly developed this inflammatory syndrome, and three