Articles By Jack Cush, MD
Record Use of Marijuana and Hallucinogens in Young Adults
The NY Times reports that a recent survey of drug use indicates that daily consumption of marijuana among young adults nearly doubled in the last decade. This is coupled with growing mainstream acceptance of cannabis and hallucinogenic compounds.
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Bidirectional Association Between Depression and Rheumatoid Arthritis
A recent meta-analysis suggests a bidirectional association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and depression. Finding RA patients with depression yields an 80% increased mortality risk. Anti-cytokine therapies represents a potential alternative for the treatment of depression.
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Axial Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis with Psoriasis
A cohort analysis from Toronto suggests that axial psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is distinctly different from axial ankylosing spondylitis (AS) with psoriasis.
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What to do with "no-shows"
A current Medscape article on patient "no shows" in private medical practice examines the cause and approach to the problem. The most common reason for no shows is lack of knowledge about the scheduled appointment. Here are other common causes of no-shows, and how to address the problem.
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Managing JDM with Calcinosis
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from this past week on RheumNow and discusses a case of refractory juvenile dermatomyositis with calcinosis.
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Melatonin Use Growing, Inappropriate & Potentially Unsafe
With nearly one-third of adults, adolescents and children having sleep difficulties, many resort to using melatonin. JAMA reports substantial increases in the use of over-the-counter (OTC) melatonin, in all age groups. But is it effective, safe and warranted?
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Rituximab Efficacy in Systemic Sclerosis
The DESIRES trial studied rituximab (RTX) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and showed clinically significant improvement in skin and lung outcomes after a subsequent 24-week open-label extension phase.
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Low Dose IL-2 Therapy in SLE
A multicentre, proof-of-concept trial of suggests that low-dose IL-2 therapy may be effective in moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
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Drug-Induced Lupus from Proton Pump Inhibitors
A wide range of therapies have been implicated in causing drug-induced lupus erythematosus (DIL); now it appears that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can be added to the list of causative drugs.
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Favorable Pregnancy Outcomes in Spondyloarthritis
Pregnancy often occurs in women with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), and a recent cohort study suggests outcomes are generally better than what had been reported in the literature.
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