Articles By Jack Cush, MD
Best of 2024: Good Clinical Practice Recommendations on Glucocorticoid Withdrawal and Adrenal Insufficiency
Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents. This results in at least 1% of the population using chronic glucocorticoid therapy being at risk for glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency. This risk is dependent on the dose, duration and potency of the glucocorticoid, route of administration, and individual susceptibility.
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Best of 2024: Efficacy of Biologics in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
A retrospective cohort study of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) persistence in rheumatoid arthritis patients with chronic kidney disease, shows the 3 year survival to be under 50% but that all studied biologics were nearly equivalents with regard to safety and efficacy.
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Best of 2024: 13 Risk Factors for RA-associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most widespread and fatal pulmonary complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A recent metanalysis shows the pooled prevalence of RA-ILD was approximately 18.7%.
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Best of 2024: ASLeap: Higher Dose Secukinumab in Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients not responding to usual dosing with secukinumab (150 mg) after 16 weeks were dose escalated to secukinumab (SEC) 300 mg, but failed to show improvement by week 52.
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Best of 2024: Consensus Statements on Vitamin D
The “Controversies in Vitamin D” International Conference has published their proceedings on vitamin D metabolism, assessment, actions, and supplementation. Interestingly, optimal levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) are still being debated.
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Best of 2024: Inadequate Zoster Vaccination in Immunocompromised Patients
A VA study of shows that recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) vaccination in immunocompromised patients or those receiving immunosuppressive medications is insufficient, given these are high risk individuals.
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Best of 2024: Pain Reduction with Methotrexate in Knee Osteoarthritis
The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that oral, low dose, weekly methotrexate significantly reduced knee osteoarthritis pain, stiffness, and function in a randomized controlled trial.
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Best of 2024: Lung Cancer in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Interstitial Lung Disease
A matched cohort study from the Veterans Health Administration shows that rheumatoid arthritis patients have a >50% increased risk of lung cancer, and a 3-fold higher risk of lung cancer in RA-interstitial lung disease (ILD).
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Best of 2024: Analgesic Prescribing in Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis
A UK cross-sectional EHR clinical practice analysis between 2004 and 2020 shows that analgesic prescribing in inflammatory arthritis patients has declined, but still remains substantial, including opioid prescribing. Data was drawn from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum to evaluate analgesic prescription annual prevalence in patients with RA, PsA and axSpA and found that analgesic prescribing declined over time but remained common.
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Bah Humbug Vitamin D (12.20.2024)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow.com.
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