News
Canadian Consensus on MSK Ultrasound
Dr. Jack Cush discusses abstract 0726 presented at the 2023 ACR Convergence meeting in San Diego, CA.Do Probiotics Improve Psoriatic Arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis and the gut microbiome have become more intertwined, especially in the past few years. It was to my amazement that one of the first abstracts I came across was the effect of probiotic modulation on gut dysbiosis and disease activity in psoriatic arthritis patients.SpA Sleuths: The Case of Undiagnosed IBD
Abstract #0494 provides context to our continual search for better understanding of inflammatory bowel disease in patients with AS, nr-AxSpA, and PsA.Who gives a ‘JAK’ why and how they work, as long as they do!
Several abstracts have studied the mechanism of action of JAK inhibitors (JAKi) in various diseases. JAKi alter many other mediators affected by the JAK STAT pathway. For instance, T cell signature in blood that is proliferative was associated with a response in RA.
Issues in AxSpA: Treatment Intensification, Pregnancy
A lot of interesting studies will be presented at the poster sessions on Sunday, November 12 and some of them address practical real-world issues such as treatment intensification and the impact of pregnancy on axSpA imaging.The Fallacy of Biologic Treatment to Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis
The window of opportunity concept in RA shifted our focus to trying to treat disease earlier and more aggressively to improve long term outcomes. A natural development of this was to reconsider the possibility of therapeutic interventions aimed at the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis.Bimekizumab is Coming… in Third Place
Of the many exciting advancements for patients with psoriatic arthritis at ACR Convergence, one upcoming therapy stood out: the dual IL-17A/F inhibitor bimekizumab. Nearly two dozen bimekizumab abstracts will be featured at this year’s meeting and it recently received authorization in Europe and the U.S. for psoriasis. That makes this the year I plan to figure out where this drug will be useful for my patients with PsA.Pulmonary Manifestations of Rheumatic Disease in Asymptomatic Patients
In clinical practice, pulmonary manifestations of rheumatic medical diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and peripheral spondyloarthritis (pSpA) are typically not screened for upon diagnosis of a rheumatic disease in patients without any signs or symptoms suggest
Glucocorticoids-free zone in SLE?
For over 70 years, glucocorticoids, (GC) have been a part of standard therapy in SLE. They are classically used to not only induce remission or treat an acute flare, but also as maintenance therapy. They are a valuable 'friend' if used wisely, and can become a 'foe' if used excessively.
Pregnancy Updates That Will Change The Way I Practice
ACR Convergence is truly drinking from the proverbial fire hose. It’s a beautiful mash-up of basic science and treatment updates meets guidelines, recommendations, and disease identification.


