News and information about the National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases (NDB) and arthritis and rheumatology research. Written for NDB participants and anyone with a rheumatic disease.
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Thursday, October 28, 2004
Posters from the ACR Meeting: Jaw Pain
We just got back from the American College of Rheumatology's annual scientific meeting, where the NDB presented a lot of brand new research made possible by our thousands of volunteer participants. We'll be presenting that research here over the next week or so.
The first topic comes from a Poster Presentation on Jaw Pain from research by Drs. Robert S. Katz and NDB director Frederick Wolfe. At poster presentations, presenters explain the research to other interested doctors and researchers so the results can be applied or studied further.
Jaw pain can occur in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Osteoarthritis (OA) and Fibromyalgia (FIB). We wanted to know what characteristics are common to people with jaw pain, and which form of arthritis they have. We found out that jaw pain is much more common in people with FIB, about 38% have it, whereas 18% of RA and OA patients have it. Does this mean that if you have jaw pain you probably have FIB? No. That determination can only be made by your doctor. It can indicate what we call a "general pain disorder" rather than a specific problem with your jaw joint. This means you, in general, might have more pain or higher sensitivity to pain than other arthritis patients without jaw pain. Again, this information can be more useful to your doctor as he or she decides how to treat you.
For doctors, as they see patients with jaw pain, this research means that they may want to give more thought to whether a patient has above average pain that needs specific attention.
To see the poster, click the image here for a PowerPoint file.
We just got back from the American College of Rheumatology's annual scientific meeting, where the NDB presented a lot of brand new research made possible by our thousands of volunteer participants. We'll be presenting that research here over the next week or so.
The first topic comes from a Poster Presentation on Jaw Pain from research by Drs. Robert S. Katz and NDB director Frederick Wolfe. At poster presentations, presenters explain the research to other interested doctors and researchers so the results can be applied or studied further.
Jaw pain can occur in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Osteoarthritis (OA) and Fibromyalgia (FIB). We wanted to know what characteristics are common to people with jaw pain, and which form of arthritis they have. We found out that jaw pain is much more common in people with FIB, about 38% have it, whereas 18% of RA and OA patients have it. Does this mean that if you have jaw pain you probably have FIB? No. That determination can only be made by your doctor. It can indicate what we call a "general pain disorder" rather than a specific problem with your jaw joint. This means you, in general, might have more pain or higher sensitivity to pain than other arthritis patients without jaw pain. Again, this information can be more useful to your doctor as he or she decides how to treat you.
For doctors, as they see patients with jaw pain, this research means that they may want to give more thought to whether a patient has above average pain that needs specific attention.
To see the poster, click the image here for a PowerPoint file.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Vitamin D and arthritic knees
"Boston researchers report a link between low serum levels of vitamin D and decreased knee function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.... "We found a relationship between serum levels of vitamin D and knee function," lead investigator Dr. Kristin Baker told Reuters Health. Low levels were associated with higher levels of pain and disability and to a lesser extent muscle weakness.We also found that about 50 percent of the population were deficient in vitamin D," Baker commented....Baker pointed out that this was not a study of vitamin D as a treatment for osteoarthritis, but she speculated that "we may need higher serum levels of vitamin D than we originally thought...This is one more piece of evidence that vitamin D intake should be increased." - from Yahoo! Health
"Boston researchers report a link between low serum levels of vitamin D and decreased knee function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.... "We found a relationship between serum levels of vitamin D and knee function," lead investigator Dr. Kristin Baker told Reuters Health. Low levels were associated with higher levels of pain and disability and to a lesser extent muscle weakness.We also found that about 50 percent of the population were deficient in vitamin D," Baker commented....Baker pointed out that this was not a study of vitamin D as a treatment for osteoarthritis, but she speculated that "we may need higher serum levels of vitamin D than we originally thought...This is one more piece of evidence that vitamin D intake should be increased." - from Yahoo! Health
Friday, October 15, 2004
From Vioxx to Arcoxia
"Merck & Company, the drug maker that recalled its painkiller Vioxx because of a link to heart disease, said yesterday that short-term studies had shown its planned successor, Arcoxia, to be safer. "We do have substantial safety data on Arcoxia," Mr. Kim said. But executives said they did not have safety findings for people who took the medicine as long as 18 months, when the Vioxx risk showed up." Merck will present safety findings on Arcoxia next week at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting in San Antonio. The NDB will be there as well, and we'll have a full report on our research and other important research presented at the meeting. - from NY Times (free registration required)
After the Recall, Merck Talks About a Successor to Vioxx
"Merck & Company, the drug maker that recalled its painkiller Vioxx because of a link to heart disease, said yesterday that short-term studies had shown its planned successor, Arcoxia, to be safer. "We do have substantial safety data on Arcoxia," Mr. Kim said. But executives said they did not have safety findings for people who took the medicine as long as 18 months, when the Vioxx risk showed up." Merck will present safety findings on Arcoxia next week at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting in San Antonio. The NDB will be there as well, and we'll have a full report on our research and other important research presented at the meeting. - from NY Times (free registration required)
After the Recall, Merck Talks About a Successor to Vioxx
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Painkiller lotion effective for OA knee arthritis
" According to a new study, a lotion made up of the NSAID diclofenac plus an absorption enhancer significantly lessens the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis of the knee, with the only side effect being minimal skin irritation. The lotion is made by Dimethaid Health Care Ltd. and is sold under the brand name Pennsaid, although not in the U.S.... Roughly 41 percent of subjects who applied the diclofenac solution reported some minor skin irritation such as dryness or rash." The lotion may be an alternative for patients with stomach problems from oral NSAIDs. - from Yahoo! Health
" According to a new study, a lotion made up of the NSAID diclofenac plus an absorption enhancer significantly lessens the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis of the knee, with the only side effect being minimal skin irritation. The lotion is made by Dimethaid Health Care Ltd. and is sold under the brand name Pennsaid, although not in the U.S.... Roughly 41 percent of subjects who applied the diclofenac solution reported some minor skin irritation such as dryness or rash." The lotion may be an alternative for patients with stomach problems from oral NSAIDs. - from Yahoo! Health
Monday, October 11, 2004
Remicade lymphoma risk?
"Patients taking Remicade for rheumatoid arthritis suffered a type of cancer, lymphoma, at three times the rate of the general public, manufacturer Centocor warned doctors on Thursday.... Centocor found that three people developed lymphoma among 2,410 patients taking Remicade to treat Crohn's disease or rheumatoid arthritis. That was six times higher than the lymphoma rate among healthy individuals.
But such autoimmune diseases up the odds of suffering lymphoma, making it difficult to determine whether to blame the drugs or the underlying disease.
"That's the issue here," said Dr. Tom Schaible, Centocor vice president of medical affairs. "There's not enough signal coming out of the population of patients receiving TNF blockers to distinguish it from what the underlying risk is in those diseases." - from Yahoo! Health
"Patients taking Remicade for rheumatoid arthritis suffered a type of cancer, lymphoma, at three times the rate of the general public, manufacturer Centocor warned doctors on Thursday.... Centocor found that three people developed lymphoma among 2,410 patients taking Remicade to treat Crohn's disease or rheumatoid arthritis. That was six times higher than the lymphoma rate among healthy individuals.
But such autoimmune diseases up the odds of suffering lymphoma, making it difficult to determine whether to blame the drugs or the underlying disease.
"That's the issue here," said Dr. Tom Schaible, Centocor vice president of medical affairs. "There's not enough signal coming out of the population of patients receiving TNF blockers to distinguish it from what the underlying risk is in those diseases." - from Yahoo! Health
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Smoking, Genes, and Rheumatoid Arthritis
"People whose genes make them more susceptible to developing rheumatoid arthritis are even more likely to get the disease if they smoke, say Swedish researchers....The researchers asked participants about their smoking habits and screened their blood for a gene-encoding protein sequence called the shared epitope (SE), which is the major genetic risk factor currently linked to rheumatoid arthritis." 2110 patients were in the study. from - WebMD
"People whose genes make them more susceptible to developing rheumatoid arthritis are even more likely to get the disease if they smoke, say Swedish researchers....The researchers asked participants about their smoking habits and screened their blood for a gene-encoding protein sequence called the shared epitope (SE), which is the major genetic risk factor currently linked to rheumatoid arthritis." 2110 patients were in the study. from - WebMD
Does the Vioxx recall mean more trouble for other Cox-2s?
"A week after the popular arthritis drug Vioxx was yanked because of safety concerns, a top researcher warns similar medications may also pose the same health risks." from - BostonHerald.com
"A week after the popular arthritis drug Vioxx was yanked because of safety concerns, a top researcher warns similar medications may also pose the same health risks." from - BostonHerald.com
Monday, October 04, 2004
New Scrutiny of Drugs in Vioxx's Family
"Now that Merck has removed its arthritis painkiller Vioxx from the market after tests found that it increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes, its rival Pfizer is taking a surprising stance. Pfizer says it is looking into whether its somewhat similar drug, Celebrex, may actually help prevent heart attacks....it is possible that safety concerns could delay approval of two other drugs that are in advanced stages of development - Merck's Arcoxia and Prexige from Novartis - as well as several further behind." Free registration required. from - The New York Times
"Now that Merck has removed its arthritis painkiller Vioxx from the market after tests found that it increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes, its rival Pfizer is taking a surprising stance. Pfizer says it is looking into whether its somewhat similar drug, Celebrex, may actually help prevent heart attacks....it is possible that safety concerns could delay approval of two other drugs that are in advanced stages of development - Merck's Arcoxia and Prexige from Novartis - as well as several further behind." Free registration required. from - The New York Times
Friday, October 01, 2004
Small study shows Anakinra helps ankylosing spondylitis
"The anti-rheumatic drug anakinra is an effective treatment for patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a serious type of arthritis that commonly affects the spine, according to a new study....However, larger studies are needed to establish its effectiveness against this disease. - from Yahoo! Health
"The anti-rheumatic drug anakinra is an effective treatment for patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a serious type of arthritis that commonly affects the spine, according to a new study....However, larger studies are needed to establish its effectiveness against this disease. - from Yahoo! Health
Now available for your support group or arthritis meetings....Our new pamphlets explain what we do and how you and can help. Each one has a postage-paid postcard to request more information or join the project. The pamphlets and a small table-top stand are available free from the NDB. Just send us an email!