Articles By Jack Cush, MD
Undifferentiated Arthritis Does Not Follow an RA Course
Undifferentiated arthritis (UA) is common in medical practice and many advocate early use of DMARDs; yet a recent study shows that despite DMARD use, UA patients do not fair well with this approach.
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Tocilizumab Works Best in Non-Mechanical Ventilated COVID-19 Patients
JAMA has published a meta-analysis of 15 studies of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with tocilizumab and corticosteroids, showing that a clinically meaningful mortality benefit from tocilizumab (and steroids) was best seen in those not requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).
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When Less (Drug) is More (Activity) (3.4.2022)
Dr Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from the past week on RheumNow.com. This podcast is sponsored by RheumNow.live. The great future of rheumatology education is at RNL 2022.
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ACR Guidelines for the Treatment of Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
The ACR has updated its clinical guidelines for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), with this update focusing on oligoarthritis, TMJ arthritis, and systemic JIA (with and without macrophage activation syndrome); only the latter, systemic JIA recommendations are reported he
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Drug Survival Differences in RA, PsA, SpA and PsO
Drug survival may be the best measure of efficacy and safety. A new study of novel therapy durability (survival) in patients with RA, axial spondyloarthritis, PsA, and psoriasis shows that while all these drugs are approved for said conditions, drug survival varies by condition, suggesting an ongoing need for individualized treatment.
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Spondyloarthritis in Early Crohn's Disease
Analysis of a German Crohn's disease cohort finds that in patients with early Crohn’s disease (CD), spondyloarthritis was present in nearly one out of five patients and was associated with HLA-B27 positivity and a highly active CD.
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A Rare Disease Doctor
Yesterday was national “Rare Disease Day” in the USA, with many tributes to the patients, doctors and researchers dedicated to these disorders. Moreover, it was a great opportunity to shout about the many rare conditions that don’t often get enough press, praise or funding.
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Increased SLE Flares with Hydroxychloroquine Reduction
Concerns about the long-term safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) often results in dose reduction or drug discontinuation; yet a current study shows that, for those in remission, HCQ taper/discontinuation resulted in a significantly higher rate of SLE flares.
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Downside of Holding Methotrexate with COVID-19 Vaccination
A recent prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial has shown that a 2 week hold of methotrexate (MTX) following COVID-19 (Sinovac-CoronaVac) vaccination resulted in greater anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunogenicity; but there was an increase in flare rates after the second dose of vaccine.
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MMWR - NFL Study on When to Be Released if COVID(+)
MMWR has reported the results of the National Football Leagues (NFL) change in SARS-CoV-2 testing program that went into effect in December 2021, at the height of the Omicron variant surge, showing that among those with asymptomatic infection, only half were PCR test negative and could return to
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