Environmental Factors May Trigger Arthritis May 15, 2008
A number of environmental exposures, including trauma, are associated with the onset of inflammatory arthritis in patients with psoriasis, findings published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases indicate ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, May 2008. (Newsmax)
Women Who Breastfeed For More Than A Year Halve Their Risk Of Rheumatoid Arthritis May 14, 2008
ScienceDaily (May 13, 2008) Women who breast feed for longer have a smaller chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis, suggests a study published online ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. See also. (Science Daily)
Breastfeeding halves arthritis risk May 14, 2008
Findings of the study have appeared online ahead of the print version in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Discuss this story with other readers. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Breastfeeding halves rheumatoid arthritis risk May 13, 2008
The study published in the British Medical Journal's Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases also suggested that oral contraceptives -- thought to offer protection because they contain certain hormones -- did not seem to make a difference. (Reporting by Michael Kahn). (Scientific American)
Breast-feeding Might Shield Women From Rheumatoid Arthritis May 13, 2008
The study findings were published online May 13 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, characterized by inflammation of the lining -- or synovium -- of the joints. (Health-Finder)
Severe Lupus May Respond to Drug Combo Mar 21, 2008
Dr. Ronald F. van Vollenhoven and colleagues at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm note in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases that B cell depleting therapy with rituxan has "shown encouraging results in patients with SLE." ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, March 2008. (MEDLINEplus)
Watery Pools In Bone Marrow Key To Psoriatic Arthritic Damage Mar 7, 2008
6, 2008) Researchers have learned more about how a leading drug prevents certain types of arthritis from eating away at bone, according to a study published in the March edition of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The findings may soon enable physicians to tell patients quickly whether or not they will respond to current therapies. (Science Daily)
Fibromyalgia Treatment Feb 3, 2008
Fibromyalgia was defined by Dr. Frederick, the Director of the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases in a 1990 paper that first defined. Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by widespread pain in muscles, tendons, and ligaments and pain upon pressure of specific trigger points in the back of the head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. (Suite101.com)
Will Cholesterol Pills Save Your Life? Jan 29, 2008
Although the evidence is preliminary, there are articles in peer reviewed medical journals documenting that the anti inflammatory properties of statins may prove to be protective against Alzheimer s Disease, rheumatic diseases (such as arthritis and lupus), other autoimmune diseases (like multiple sclerosis) and bone fractures. All of this evidence is preliminary and statins have not yet been approved for these indications. (New York Times)
Sedentary Lifestyles Associated With Accelerated Aging Process Jan 29, 2008
2, 2006) Osteoarthritis, the degenerative inflammatory bone disease, may be a sign of faster "biological aging," suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The authors. (Science Daily)
Blood Cancer Risk Increased with Lupus Drugs Jan 19, 2008
According to their report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the overall cancer risk with lupus was increased with older age and with more severe lupus damage ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, January 2008. (MEDLINEplus)
Drug Approved. Is Disease Real? Jan 14, 2008
Dr. Frederick Wolfe, the director of the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases and the lead author of the 1990 paper that first defined the diagnostic guidelines for fibromyalgia, says he has become cynical and discouraged about the diagnosis. He now considers the condition a physical response to , depression, and economic and social anxiety. (New York Times)
Clinic to hold health talk on arthritis Jan 11, 2008
Within the umbrella term of arthritis, there are many conditions termed systemic autoimmune or systemic rheumatic diseases. The autoimmune process of inflammation affects not only joints but can cause damage to any bodily organ or system including heart, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels or skin. (Forest Republican, WI)
Prevalence And Impact Of Arthritis And Other Rheumatic Conditions In The United States Jan 8, 2008
(May 28, 2007) Does atherosclerosis result from systemic inflammation, a hallmark of these rheumatic diseases, or from local inflammation of. . (Science Daily)
Heart risk factors vary in affect in arthritis Jan 5, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In rheumatoid arthritic patients, some traditional risk factors impart a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease, while others confer a lower risk, compared with those without rheumatoid arthritis, according to a report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, January 2008. (Scientific American)
Lupus Foundation of America Offers Webchat for Parents of Teens with Lupus on December 12 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time Dec 7, 2007
Dr. Chira's research interests focus on improving the transition and educational process for adolescents with rheumatic diseases, including those with lupus, and evaluating the role of information technology in this transition. He has previously looked at the role of an online chat room support group for teens with rheumatic conditions. (PR Newswire)
Fetal Heart Rate Yields Clues To Children's Later Development Nov 17, 2007
11, 2007) There is an increased risk of fetal heart problems when mothers carry particular antibodies associated with rheumatic diseases, according to an abstract presented by Yale School of Medicine. . (Science Daily)
Fibromyalgia Pain Caused By Neuron Mismatch, Suggests Study Nov 3, 2007
The chronic pain experienced by people with fibromyalgia is hard to understand because there are no obvious clinical signs that pain should be experienced, said Dr Candy McCabe, one of the researchers involved in the University of Bath and Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases study. We have shown that by confusing the motor and sensory systems we can exacerbate the symptoms felt by people diagnosed with the condition. (Science Daily)
Fragile: handle with care Oct 25, 2007
"Even in a metro like ours I come across people quite often who have not even heard the term 'rheumatology /rheumatologist'. I sincerely believe that a lot needs to be done in my specialty to be able to take it to the masses. There is hardly any Indian data on the behaviour of rheumatic diseases and the response to treatment in our people. Patient education, clinical research, and epidemiological studies in Indians with rheumatic diseases need to be carried out," says Bhujani. This is probably... (Express Pharma)
Arthritis may predispose patients to gout Oct 13, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Arthritis may trigger the deposit of uric acid crystals in joints, the main cause of gout, according to a report in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, October 2007. (Scientific American)
Sunbutter and jelly: a new lunchtime treat Oct 13, 2007
A pediatrician in the division of rheumatic diseases at Rainbow Babies ren s Hospital, Singer had previously been on an airplane where they served Sunbutter. It was delicious, she reports. (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
Lessons from a Genomewide Association Study of Rheumatoid Arthritis Sep 21, 2007
From the Department of Allergy and Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medicine (K.Y.), and the Laboratory for Functional Genomics, Institute of Medical Sciences (R.Y.), University of Tokyo, Tokyo; the Laboratory for Rheumatic Diseases, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Yokohama City (K.Y.); and the Center for Genomic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto (R.Y.) all in Japan. This article (10. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Variant of CTGF in Systemic Sclerosis Sep 21, 2007
From the Centre for Rheumatology, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London (C.F., G.E.L., M.P., A.M.H., P.L., C.J.S., X.S.-W., C.P.D., C.M.B., D.J.A.); the Institute of Respiratory Diseases, University of Siena, Siena, Italy (P. Sestini); the Clinical Genomics Group, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London (E.A.R., P. Spagnolo, P.P., K.I.W., R.M.B.); and the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Centre for Rheumatology, Bath, United Kingdom... (New England Journal of Medicine)
Knee arthritis may be sign of early lung cancer Sep 15, 2007
The researchers reviewed the medical records of everyone with isolated knee arthritis seen at their center over a 6-year period, and report their findings in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, online September 4, 2007. (Scientific American)
Many Arthritis Patients Not Happy with Prednisone Sep 11, 2007
SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, September 2007. Reuters Health. (MEDLINEplus)
Mediterranean diet may benefit arthritis sufferers Sep 8, 2007
In the new study, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, UK researchers split 130 women with RA into two groups ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, September 2007 ... Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. (Yahoo News)
Mediterranean diet good for arthritis Sep 8, 2007
In the new study, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, UK researchers split 130 women with RA into two groups. One group attended classes on Mediterranean-style eating, which included hands-on cooking instruction. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Knee Pain May Signal Lung Cancer Sep 6, 2007
(SOURCE: The Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, news release, Sept. 3, 2007) ... Writing in the September issue of The Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, the researchers noted that early warning signs such as knee pain could lead to earlier diagnosis and more successful treatments. (Health-Finder)
Knee arthritis link to lung cancer Sep 4, 2007
Arthritis of the knee may be the first sign of a type of lung cancer that is hard to treat in heavy smokers, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The researchers reviewed the case notes of all patients with rheumatic disorders, diagnosed at one tertiary referral centre over six years. (EurekAlert!)
Drug switch may benefit arthritis patients Sep 1, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who fail to respond to one of the biological drugs will often have a better response to a second drug within the same class, Danish researchers report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, September, 2007. (Scientific American)
New Arthritis Drugs: Skin Cancer Risk Sep 1, 2007
Even so, the small risk does not outweigh the benefit for patients who truly need the new drugs, says study investigator Frederick Wolfe, MD, director of the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases ... Frederick Wolfe, MD, director, National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases, Wichita, Kan. (WebMD)
Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs Linked to Slight Skin Cancer Risk Aug 31, 2007
For the study, Wolfe and his colleagues collected data on 13,001 patients with rheumatoid arthritis included in the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases and the U.S. National Cancer Institute SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results). The researchers found a total of 623 cases of skin cancer and 537 cases of other cancers. (MEDLINEplus)
Biologic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of cancer Aug 29, 2007
To assess the risk of cancer among biologic-treated RA patients, comprehensively and conclusively, two research specialists, Frederick Wolfe, MD, University of Kansas School of Medicine, and Kaleb Michaud, PhD, University of Nebraska Medical Center, turned to two sweeping databases, the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases and the US National Cancer Institute SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results). Gathering and comparing data from both, they studied the incidence of cancer in... (EurekAlert!)
Stuff and nonsense Aug 28, 2007
One of the largest was published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases and looked at 300 healthy people over 45-years-old, about a quarter of them habitual knuckle crackers. The rates of arthritis of the hand were similar in both groups, though the knuckle crackers, on average, had reduced grip strength along with higher rates of swelling of the hand. (Guardian Unlimited)
Meda AB (publ.) January - June 2007, H1 Interim Report Aug 8, 2007
Rheumatic diseases are a growing problem as the proportion of elderly people in Europe increases ... Ketoprofen is an NSAID and is common in rheumatic diseases treatment. (BusinessWire)
Heavy smoking may slow rheumatoid arthritis Aug 1, 2007
Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease that causes progressive joint destruction, disability, and premature death, Finckh and colleagues reported in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. advertisement. (MSNBC -- Health)
Etoricoxib and Naproxen Effective for Arthritis Aug 1, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The COX-2 inhibitor etoricoxib and the older agent naproxen are both safe and effective for the treatment of arthritis, according to a report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, July 2007. (MEDLINEplus)
Malaria Drugs Cut Cancer Risk in Lupus Patients Jul 21, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Drugs used to treat malaria appear to reduce the risk of malignancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, Spanish researchers report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, June 2007. (MEDLINEplus)
Pain drugs have different heart risks Jul 17, 2007
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The various anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, which are used to treat arthritis and other painful conditions, differ in the risks of heart attacks and stroke, according to a report in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, June 2007. (Scientific American)
Scleroderma Outlook Improves As Survival Increases Jul 17, 2007
In the July issue of the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Georgetown University Medical Center professor Virginia Steen, M.D., studied 2,000 patients with scleroderma (also known as systemic sclerosis) treated between 1972 and 2001 at the University of Pittsburgh and found that 10-year survival steadily improved over those years by 12 percent-- from 54 percent to 66 percent. This is really good progress, which we hope to improve upon, said Steen, a leading expert on the disorder who has... (Science Daily)
Despite own woes, teen raises cash to help other kids Jul 15, 2007
The weeklong camp, held at Camp Victory in Millville, is for children with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. Jonathon heard about the camp last year from his sister, Jessamyn Reinhard, who has worked with various charitable organizations. (Scranton Times, PA)
Drugs Old and New May Fight Diabetes Jul 12, 2007
"This medication has been around for 50 years, it's available generically and has been used as a treatment and preventative for malaria, and a treatment for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases," noted Dr. Mary Chester Wasko, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Wasko said this drug first piqued her interest when one of her patients developed low blood sugar while taking hydroxychloroquine. (MEDLINEplus)
Glucosamine Trials Show Little Benefit Against Arthritis Jul 3, 2007
The team from the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases in Wichita, Kan. found three-quarters of respondents were happy with their current medications, and almost two-thirds (64 percent) said they wouldn't try a new drug unless their symptoms deteriorated. (MEDLINEplus)
Patient choice and treatment alternatives for arthritis Jun 28, 2007
Frederick Wolfe and Kaleb Michaud, of the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases in Wichita, KS, queried over 6,000 RA patients about their acceptance and satisfaction with therapy, their willingness to change and their reasons for not changing. They found that more than three-quarters were satisfied with their medications and almost 64 percent would not want to change therapy as long as their condition didnt get worse. (EurekAlert!)
Longer term breast feeding protects mother from risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis Jun 16, 2007
The aims of EULAR are to reduce the burden of rheumatic diseases on the individual and society and to improve the treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal diseases. To this end, EULAR fosters excellence in education and research in the field of rheumatology. (EurekAlert!)
Madhuca indica (Mahua) Jun 14, 2007
A decoction of the bark can be given internally in rheumatic diseases. The leaves of Madhuca are effective in the treatment of eczema. (Suite101.com)
Disability from long-term rheumatoid arthritis reduced with biologic treatment Jun 13, 2007
6) Callahan LF, Pincus T. Mortality in the rheumatic diseases. Arthritis Care Res 1995;8:229-41. (EurekAlert!)
The drugs do work Jun 6, 2007
A study at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath, has found it is effective against pain: a significant analgesic effect was seen with rheumatoid arthritis. Heartburn. (Belfast Telegraph)
Rollins hosts charity bowling event Jun 1, 2007
The camp provides special care for children with arthritis or other rheumatic diseases, and allows them to come back year after year and eventually become counselors. When the opportunity to send a child to the camp was auctioned live, Howard and Chase Utley bought four, Shane Victorino purchased two, and Rollins bought five of the scholarships. (MLB.com -- Philadelphia Phillies)
Rheumatoid Illness, Smoking Can Harm Heart's Aorta May 31, 2007
TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) -- Inflammatory rheumatic diseases and smoking are both associated with inflammation of the heart's aorta, the main artery carrying blood to the body, researchers report ... Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, and polymyalgia were among the types of inflammatory rheumatic diseases afflicting the patients in the study. (MEDLINEplus)
New insights into chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis May 25, 2007
Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases are associated with a high rate of death from heart disease ... Does atherosclerosis result from systemic inflammation, a hallmark of these rheumatic diseases, or from local inflammation of vessels. (EurekAlert!)
One in four patients still put on mixed wards May 17, 2007
Royal National Hospital For Rheumatic Diseases, Bath. 5. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Meda Acquire Rights to the First Combination of an NSAID (Ketoprofen) and a Proton Pump Inhibitor (Omeprazole) May 10, 2007
An increase in Europe s aging population parallels an increase in rheumatic diseases. So the new product s potential is high. (BusinessWire)
Older, lower income patients least likely to see a specialist for lupus Apr 30, 2007
Other research has shown that care provided by specialists to patients with rheumatic diseases is associated with improved outcomes yet does not cost more. A new study published in the May 2007 issue of Arthritis Care rch () found older patients and those with lower incomes were less likely to see a specialist for SLE.. (EurekAlert!)
The economic impact of arthritis on the United States Apr 27, 2007
They tabulated medical care expenditures of adult respondents, stratified by arthritis status, and used regression techniques to assess the increment of medical care expenditures attributable to arthritis and related rheumatic diseases. They also calculated the earnings losses of working-age adults with these disabling conditions. (EurekAlert!)
What is Hydrotherapy? Apr 22, 2007
Other than being a nice warm bath, hydro treatments can treat rheumatic diseases and arthritis. Sports clinics use hydrotherapy baths as follow-up treatments for recovering patients. (Suite101.com)
Diagnostic value of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in Greek patients with rheumatoid arthritis Apr 21, 2007
Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) CCP2 kit, we tested anti-CCP2 antibodies in serum samples from 155 Greek patients with RA, 178 patients with other rheumatic diseases, and 100 blood donors. We also determined rheumatoid factor (RF) and compared it to anti-CCP2 antibodies for area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios. (BioMed Central)
Ibuprofen may affect heart in high-risk patients Apr 6, 2007
By contrast, in patients who don't use aspirin, naproxen seems to carry a lower risk of cardiovascular events than lumiracoxib does, according to the study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ... SOURCE: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, April 2007. (Scientific American)
Ibuprofen Cancels Heart Benefit of Aspirin Apr 6, 2007
That finding, published online ahead of print in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, emerged from a post-hoc analysis of data from the 18,325-patient TARGET (Therapeutic Arthritis Research and Gastrointestinal Event Trial) ... Primary source: Annals of Rheumatic Diseases Source reference: Farkouh M. Ann Rheum Dise 2007; 000:1-7. (MedPage Today)
Ibuprofen May Boost Aspirin Users' Heart Risk Apr 6, 2007
The authors of the study, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, speculated that ibuprofen may cancel out the cardio-protective effects of daily low-dose aspirin. Use of ibuprofen and aspirin boosted arthritis patients' one-year heart attack and stroke risk ninefold compared to patients who were taking a cox-2 inhibitor pain reliever, the study found. (MEDLINEplus)
Ibuprofen puts high risk cardiac patients at risk Apr 6, 2007
This new study, published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, suggests that ibuprofen interferes with the blood thinning properties of aspirin in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Past evidence suggests that both selective cox-2 inhibitors and non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs increase the risk of cardiovascular events. (EurekAlert!)
Warning over arthritis painkiller Apr 5, 2007
High-risk patients taking both aspirin and ibuprofen were around nine times as likely to have heart attacks and strokes over one year as those on lumiracoxib, according to the research, which is due to be published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. Among high-risk patients not taking aspirin, the rate of heart attacks or strokes was higher for those on the COX-2 inhibitor than it was for those on naproxen, but no higher than for those on ibuprofen. (Channel 4 News)
Ibuprofen Risky for Heart Patients? Apr 5, 2007
Farkouh and colleagues report their findings in the early online issue of the BMJ specialty journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Ibuprofen vs. Naproxen vs. Prexige. (WebMD)
Ibuprofen may boost chance of heart problems in high risk patients with osteoarthritis Apr 5, 2007
The common painkiller, ibuprofen, may boost the likelihood of heart problems in high risk patients who have osteoarthritis, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Previous studies have suggested that ibuprofen interferes with the effects of aspirin. (EurekAlert!)
Staff would not want to be patients in own hospitals Mar 30, 2007
Other hospitals showing a high level of employee satisfaction with standards included the Royal Marsden, south London, the Royal National hospital for rheumatic diseases, Bath, and the Royal Brompton and Harefield trust, south London. The commission found the government's drive to combat MRSA by insisting on more rigorous standards of cleanliness had had only limited success. (Guardian Unlimited)
