Articles By Jack Cush, MD
Despite Increasing Metric Use, They Are Not Widespread in Rheumatoid Care
The Journal of Rheumatology has published a nationwide survey of US rheumatologists and shown that despite trends for increasing metric assessments, nearly half of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are not routinely assessed with a disease activity metric and the evidence they
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Bone Marrow Edema May be Found in Normals, Athletes and Military Recruits
Rheumatology has published a study demonstrating that bone marrow edema as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be found in healthy people, but that such changes do not change with intense physical activity.
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What You Don't Know (Best of 2017)
“It’s unbelievable how much you don’t know about the game you’ve been playing all your life.” - Mickey Mantle.What I know and learned is often the subject of blogs on RheumNow. Yet, I’ve always been challenged and irked by what I don’t know.
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New BSR 2017 Gout Guidelines (Best of 2017)
The British Society for Rheumatology/British Health Professionals in Rheumatology first published a guideline for the management of gout in 2007. They have just updated and published their new guideline, largely because of new therapies, an increasing incidence of gout, low penetrance of urate lowering therapies, and the inability to achieve a target serum uric acid level.
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The Story Teller (Best of 2017)
Angie is my last patient before lunch. I've known her since her RA diagnosis at age 17 years. And for the last 7 years, she’s matured into a fabulous young woman who has adeptly grown her professional life, her dating life and developed her independence, despite her severely active rheumatoid arthritis. But today I see she has a troubled and anxious look as I greet her.
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Therapeutic Update: 5 Questions on FDA Hearing for Tofacitinib in PsA (Best of 2017)
In this Therapeutic Update, Drs. Mease, Gibofsky and Cush answer five questions regarding the August 3rd FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee meeting that reviewed the potential approval of tofacitinib (Xeljanz) in patients with active psoriatic arthritis. The panel was nearly unanimous (10-1) in favor of the efficacy and safety profile of of tofacitinib, and similarly voted 10-1 to approve this drug for use in PsA. Final decisions on these recommendations from the AAC panel will be made at a later date by the FDA.
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Rules for Drug Cessation with Infection (Best of 2017)
Almost everyone gets their education about drug-related infection risk from television ads. Rheumatologists should know what the real risks are and educate their patients that they have a higher than normal rate of nonserious infections. But the infection risk is way more related to inflammation than any specific drug risk.
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Stroke Risk Highest in the First Year of Lupus (Best of 2017)
Arkema et al has published in Annals of Rheumatic Disease a study showing that ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke (CVA) is elevated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with the general population, especially in the first year.
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Across the Table: Cush & Erkan on Antiphospholipid Syndrome (Best of 2017)
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common disorder affecting patients with and without autoimmune disease. Despite wider recognition of APS among physicians as well as the expanding research collaborations, many clinical questions are still encountered in clinical practice, which require further evidence-based studies. In this “Across the Table” edition, Drs. Cush and Erkan discuss some of these APS-related questions. Our guest expert, Dr. Doruk Erkan offers up his approach to diagnosis and management of APS.
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Death Rates from Lupus Remain Disproportionately High (Best of 2017)
The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that despite improving trends in mortality, death rates from systematic lupus erythematosus (lupus) remain high compared to those in the general population, and disparities persist between subpopulations and geographic regions.
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