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.
| Contact the NDB | Enroll in NDB Research | NDB Forum |
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Statins fight RA cells in lab tests
"Early findings in the laboratory suggest that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs might prove an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Japanese researchers say the statin drug fluvastatin induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) in synovial cells collected from people with rheumatoid arthritis. 'Based on these results, we propose that the statins warrant clinical trials as potential modifiers of RA,' the researchers concluded." - from HealthDay
"Early findings in the laboratory suggest that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs might prove an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Japanese researchers say the statin drug fluvastatin induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) in synovial cells collected from people with rheumatoid arthritis. 'Based on these results, we propose that the statins warrant clinical trials as potential modifiers of RA,' the researchers concluded." - from HealthDay
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Smokers with knee OA lose cartilage faster
"Current smoking is associated with progressive cartilage loss of the medial and patellofemoral compartments compared to non- and former smokers, even after adjusting for age, Body Mass Index, knee pain, and physical activity....Men enrolled in the Boston OA Study of the Knee were studied. Women were excluded as less than 5 percent of women enrolled in the study were current smokers. Enrolled subjects were at least 45 years of age and all had symptomatic knee OA at entry (knee pain and evidence of osteophytes on plain radiographs)." - from Johns Hopkins Arthritis website
"Current smoking is associated with progressive cartilage loss of the medial and patellofemoral compartments compared to non- and former smokers, even after adjusting for age, Body Mass Index, knee pain, and physical activity....Men enrolled in the Boston OA Study of the Knee were studied. Women were excluded as less than 5 percent of women enrolled in the study were current smokers. Enrolled subjects were at least 45 years of age and all had symptomatic knee OA at entry (knee pain and evidence of osteophytes on plain radiographs)." - from Johns Hopkins Arthritis website
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
A Fibromyalgia primer for pharmacists
Here's a real example of how NDB research helps medical professionals treat diseases. "Fibromyalgia Syndrome: An Update for Pharmacists" is a detailed primer for pharmacists about Fibromyalgia and its treatment. The article may also be informative for some fibromyalgia sufferers. If you look through the footnotes, you'll notice that NDB Director Dr. Fred Wolfe and NDB research are frequently cited. - from U.S. Pharmacist
Here's a real example of how NDB research helps medical professionals treat diseases. "Fibromyalgia Syndrome: An Update for Pharmacists" is a detailed primer for pharmacists about Fibromyalgia and its treatment. The article may also be informative for some fibromyalgia sufferers. If you look through the footnotes, you'll notice that NDB Director Dr. Fred Wolfe and NDB research are frequently cited. - from U.S. Pharmacist
Friday, January 20, 2006
Smoking may trigger RA in some people
"Researchers have known for years that smokers are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, but Swedish scientists now think they know why: Tobacco use makes it more likely that a rare genetic condition will trigger the body's immune system to attack itself." - from Health Day
"Researchers have known for years that smokers are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, but Swedish scientists now think they know why: Tobacco use makes it more likely that a rare genetic condition will trigger the body's immune system to attack itself." - from Health Day
Thursday, January 19, 2006
An in-depth primer on rheumatoid arthritis treatments
"The management of inflammatory arthritis has moved to a completely different plane than it was 20 years ago. The literature provides clear and copious evidence of the benefits of treating early inflammatory arthritis preemptively. In addition, with the availability of the biologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis since 1998, our therapeutic options are dramatically improved, and our choices expanded." - Read the full report from the Hospital for Special Surgery.
"The management of inflammatory arthritis has moved to a completely different plane than it was 20 years ago. The literature provides clear and copious evidence of the benefits of treating early inflammatory arthritis preemptively. In addition, with the availability of the biologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis since 1998, our therapeutic options are dramatically improved, and our choices expanded." - Read the full report from the Hospital for Special Surgery.
Friday, January 13, 2006
You should have your questionnaire
We have emailed all the links to the current questionnaire for people in the US with RA, OA, Fibromyalgia and other rheumatic diseases. Lupus questionnaires will go out soon. We should have International English and Spanish questionnaires out next week. Please contact us immediately if you have not received yours yet! Thank you! - NDB Staff.
We have emailed all the links to the current questionnaire for people in the US with RA, OA, Fibromyalgia and other rheumatic diseases. Lupus questionnaires will go out soon. We should have International English and Spanish questionnaires out next week. Please contact us immediately if you have not received yours yet! Thank you! - NDB Staff.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
January questionnaires on the way!
It's time for the January 2006 questionnaires, and the paper and web links are on their way. It may take a couple of weeks before you get yours because the paper forms are sent bulk mail and the email web links are sent in batches so as not to overload the servers. If you don't receive your questionnaire by the end of January, please let us know by contacting the NDB.
If you are not currently in the NDB study and would like to learn more about it, please click here for more information. Thank you!
It's time for the January 2006 questionnaires, and the paper and web links are on their way. It may take a couple of weeks before you get yours because the paper forms are sent bulk mail and the email web links are sent in batches so as not to overload the servers. If you don't receive your questionnaire by the end of January, please let us know by contacting the NDB.
If you are not currently in the NDB study and would like to learn more about it, please click here for more information. Thank you!
Another call for exercise
"Even a quite modest amount of exercise might be better than none at all when it comes to preventing disability from arthritis, new research suggests. In a study that followed more than 3,500 U.S. adults with arthritis, researchers found that those who were getting some regular physical activity at the study's start were less likely than their sedentary peers to develop worsening problems with walking, climbing stairs and other daily activities....The new findings suggest, however, that even modest levels of exercise can help prevent disability from arthritis, or perhaps reverse it in some cases, according to Dr. Joe Feinglass, the study's lead author. However, that doesn't mean there's no benefit to getting more exercise, noted Feinglass, a research associate professor at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago." - more here from MedlinePlus
"Even a quite modest amount of exercise might be better than none at all when it comes to preventing disability from arthritis, new research suggests. In a study that followed more than 3,500 U.S. adults with arthritis, researchers found that those who were getting some regular physical activity at the study's start were less likely than their sedentary peers to develop worsening problems with walking, climbing stairs and other daily activities....The new findings suggest, however, that even modest levels of exercise can help prevent disability from arthritis, or perhaps reverse it in some cases, according to Dr. Joe Feinglass, the study's lead author. However, that doesn't mean there's no benefit to getting more exercise, noted Feinglass, a research associate professor at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago." - more here from MedlinePlus
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Study: Evista helps bone density in Lupus
"A small study has shown that the osteoporosis drug raloxifene, sold as Evista, helps maintain bone mineral density (BMD) in menopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are on corticosteroids." - read more from Reuters here.
"A small study has shown that the osteoporosis drug raloxifene, sold as Evista, helps maintain bone mineral density (BMD) in menopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are on corticosteroids." - read more from Reuters here.
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!