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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Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Study: Exercise Beneficial for Knee Arthritis
"Both aerobic walking and quadriceps strengthening exercises are equally effective at reducing pain and disability associated with osteoarthritis of the knee, according to UK researchers." - from MedlinePlus
"Both aerobic walking and quadriceps strengthening exercises are equally effective at reducing pain and disability associated with osteoarthritis of the knee, according to UK researchers." - from MedlinePlus
Monday, March 21, 2005
Osteoarthritis Improves with Self-management Program
"Patients who participated in a cognitive-behavioral-based program to help manage their arthritis had sustained improvements in pain and daily functioning in osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, Dutch investigators report in the Journal of Rheumatology. The intervention involved six 2-hour sessions led by two physiotherapists, during which patients were taught goal-setting to optimize activity levels, self-relaxation for pain control, self-diagnostic skills and problem solving." - from MedlinePlus
"Patients who participated in a cognitive-behavioral-based program to help manage their arthritis had sustained improvements in pain and daily functioning in osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, Dutch investigators report in the Journal of Rheumatology. The intervention involved six 2-hour sessions led by two physiotherapists, during which patients were taught goal-setting to optimize activity levels, self-relaxation for pain control, self-diagnostic skills and problem solving." - from MedlinePlus
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
New surgery for ankle arthritis?
"There's good news for anyone with painful arthritic ankles -- a new surgical procedure imported from Europe is showing encouraging results for relieving chronic arthritis pain without taking away the overall movement and function of the joint.... even though the initial experiences with external fixation for chronic ankle arthritis have been encouraging, more long-term studies are needed before the procedure becomes a mainstream treatment for these patients." from - News-Medical.Net
"There's good news for anyone with painful arthritic ankles -- a new surgical procedure imported from Europe is showing encouraging results for relieving chronic arthritis pain without taking away the overall movement and function of the joint.... even though the initial experiences with external fixation for chronic ankle arthritis have been encouraging, more long-term studies are needed before the procedure becomes a mainstream treatment for these patients." from - News-Medical.Net
What defines a remission in rheumatoid arthritis?
"What defines a true remission in rheumatoid arthritis patients? Can a doctor predict if a patient will go into a remission or how long a remission will last? Are there statistics on what percentage of rheumatoid arthritis patients ever achieve a remission? What can an RA patient do that will give them the best chance at achieving remission?" - from Arthritis.About.com:
"What defines a true remission in rheumatoid arthritis patients? Can a doctor predict if a patient will go into a remission or how long a remission will last? Are there statistics on what percentage of rheumatoid arthritis patients ever achieve a remission? What can an RA patient do that will give them the best chance at achieving remission?" - from Arthritis.About.com:
Monday, March 07, 2005
Total knee replacements becoming common
"Total knee replacement has become one of the most common orthopedic procedures performed on older persons. During 1979--2002, the rate of knee replacement procedures among those aged >65 years increased approximately eightfold. These procedures are performed more frequently for women than men." - from CDC QuickStats
"Total knee replacement has become one of the most common orthopedic procedures performed on older persons. During 1979--2002, the rate of knee replacement procedures among those aged >65 years increased approximately eightfold. These procedures are performed more frequently for women than men." - from CDC QuickStats
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Study: Low-Dose Celebrex Poses No Heart Risk
"A previously undisclosed study presented by an FDA safety officer shows that the most common dose of the arthritis drug Celebrex does not increase heart attack risk. However, higher doses of Celebrex - more than 200 mg a day - do raise the risk of heart attacks, other research shows....The results go against at least five other studies, which found no increased risk of heart attacks with Celebrex. Graham said the two latest studies were the only ones to show the effects of higher doses, which are taken by millions of patients. One major National Institutes of Health study was halted several months ago after researchers noticed a raised heart riskraised heart risk with 400 to 800 mg of Celebrex a day." - from WebMD.com
"A previously undisclosed study presented by an FDA safety officer shows that the most common dose of the arthritis drug Celebrex does not increase heart attack risk. However, higher doses of Celebrex - more than 200 mg a day - do raise the risk of heart attacks, other research shows....The results go against at least five other studies, which found no increased risk of heart attacks with Celebrex. Graham said the two latest studies were the only ones to show the effects of higher doses, which are taken by millions of patients. One major National Institutes of Health study was halted several months ago after researchers noticed a raised heart riskraised heart risk with 400 to 800 mg of Celebrex a day." - from WebMD.com
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!