Articles By Jack Cush, MD
RheumNow Week in Review - 8 April 2016
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the rheumatology highlights from the news, media, and journals from this past week:
Read Article
Altering the Microbiome May Benefit Lupus Patients
Previous research has suggested a potential role for gut dysbiosis and alterations Th17 and regulatory T (Treg), along with IL-17, IL-22, and IL-23, in the pathogenesis of SLE. Lopez and colleagues from Spain have studied the gut microbiome of l
Read Article
Statin Side Effects Are For Real
The GAUSS-3 trial, recently published in JAMA, examined cholesterol-lowering interventions in patients with a high LDL (>120 mg/dl) and a history of statin intolerance to 2 or more statins.
Read ArticleIntraarticular Wnt Inhibitor Therapy Effective in Knee Osteoarthritis
At the 2016 World Congress on Osteoarthritis (OARSI) meeting last week, first line results of a novel intraarticular inhibitor of the Wnt pathway (SM04690) in knee osteoarthritis were presented.
Read Article
Choosing ANA Tests Wisely - Education Fosters Smarter Use
It is estimated that 21% of laboratory tests are requested inappropriately. Researchers have explored the impact of educational programs for rheumatologists working at three rheumatology departments in secondary and tertiary care centers in The Netherlands.
Read Article
Tofacitinib Efficacy Revealed in OPAL Study
Pfizer has issued a press release of its preliminary results from the OPAL study that examined the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib 5 mg and 10 mg twice daily (BID) in adults active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Read Article
FDA Biosimilar Approval of Inflectra Viewed as a Milestone Advance
On February 9th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Arthritis Advisory Committee voted 21-3 in favor of approving the infliximab biosimilar, CT-P13/Inflectra, for use in all of infliximab's indications.
Read Article
Cardiology Anti-inflammatory Trial Fails to Improve CV Outcomes
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston evaluated the efficacy and safety of the anti-inflammatory drug losmapimod on cardiovascular outcomes given to patients with a history of myocardial infarction and CV risk factors.
Read Article
ACC Publishes Guidelines for Non-Statin Therapies
The American College of Cardiology has released its expert consensus guidance regarding the use of non-statin therapies to lower cholesterol in high-risk patients.
Read Article
Severe Psoriasis Associated with a Renal Disease Risk
There have been several reports of psoriasis being linked to chronic renal disease in the literature. Another population-based study has also found a link between severe psoriasis and kidney disease.
Read Article


