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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Friday, April 28, 2006
Rituximab looks good in small study
"A new 'biologic' therapy with a unique mechanism of action is proving effective in pushing painful rheumatoid arthritis into remission over the long term, researchers report. The drug, rituximab (brand name Rituxan), has already proven safe and effective in treating non-Hodgkins lymphomas. But its ability to suppress immune B-cells may make it a valuable new weapon against rheumatoid arthritis as well." - from HealthDay
"A new 'biologic' therapy with a unique mechanism of action is proving effective in pushing painful rheumatoid arthritis into remission over the long term, researchers report. The drug, rituximab (brand name Rituxan), has already proven safe and effective in treating non-Hodgkins lymphomas. But its ability to suppress immune B-cells may make it a valuable new weapon against rheumatoid arthritis as well." - from HealthDay
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Don't ignore your arthritis
"More than 66 million people in the United States have some form of arthritis. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, from osteoarthritis to rheumatoid arthritis to fibromyalgia and juvenile arthritis. Despite the large numbers of people with arthritis (according to the Centers for Disease Control, 28 percent of adults in New York state), most of us do not see arthritis as a serious disease. Maybe it's because so many of us have one form or another of it that many people incorrectly assume that arthritis is an inevitable part of getting older, and diagnose and treat themselves." - from Democrat & Chronicle: Essays
"More than 66 million people in the United States have some form of arthritis. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, from osteoarthritis to rheumatoid arthritis to fibromyalgia and juvenile arthritis. Despite the large numbers of people with arthritis (according to the Centers for Disease Control, 28 percent of adults in New York state), most of us do not see arthritis as a serious disease. Maybe it's because so many of us have one form or another of it that many people incorrectly assume that arthritis is an inevitable part of getting older, and diagnose and treat themselves." - from Democrat & Chronicle: Essays
Monday, April 24, 2006
Arthritis sufferers skipping exercise
"People with arthritis are even less likely than the average American to get enough -- or any --exercise, a large U.S. study shows. Among more than 27,000 adults in a national health survey, those with arthritis were less likely to be exercising at levels recommended by health experts: at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, like brisk walking, or 20 minutes of more vigorous exercise, on most days of the week. 'People with arthritis are not meeting physical activity recommendations made at the federal level and by experts in the arthritis field,' study co-author Dr. Jennifer Hootman, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said in a statement. 'That's not good,' she said, 'because we know that being more active is beneficial for arthritis.'" - from MedlinePlus
"People with arthritis are even less likely than the average American to get enough -- or any --exercise, a large U.S. study shows. Among more than 27,000 adults in a national health survey, those with arthritis were less likely to be exercising at levels recommended by health experts: at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, like brisk walking, or 20 minutes of more vigorous exercise, on most days of the week. 'People with arthritis are not meeting physical activity recommendations made at the federal level and by experts in the arthritis field,' study co-author Dr. Jennifer Hootman, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said in a statement. 'That's not good,' she said, 'because we know that being more active is beneficial for arthritis.'" - from MedlinePlus
Monday, April 17, 2006
Discovery suggests Cox-2 alternatives
"More than a year after two cox-2 painkillers, Vioxx and Bextra, were pulled from store shelves, U.S. scientists say they've figured out how these drugs triggered heart problems in some users. According to the researchers, the findings also point the way toward a new class of drugs that might offer the benefits of cox-2s, without the dangers....Cox-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx, Bextra and Celebrex (which remains available to U.S. consumers) sold in the billions, mainly because their long-term use for ailments such as arthritis does not boost risks for stomach ulcers, unlike other pain relievers." from - HealthDay
"More than a year after two cox-2 painkillers, Vioxx and Bextra, were pulled from store shelves, U.S. scientists say they've figured out how these drugs triggered heart problems in some users. According to the researchers, the findings also point the way toward a new class of drugs that might offer the benefits of cox-2s, without the dangers....Cox-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx, Bextra and Celebrex (which remains available to U.S. consumers) sold in the billions, mainly because their long-term use for ailments such as arthritis does not boost risks for stomach ulcers, unlike other pain relievers." from - HealthDay
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
OA plus overweight equals low mobility for the elderly
"Osteoarthritis plus overweight greatly lessens an older woman's ability to get around without help, a new study finds. Researchers at the U.S. National Institute on Aging and the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore analyzed 199 women, aged 70 to 79, with lower extremity osteoarthritis who had no mobility problems at the start of the study. They were compared to 140 women in the same age group who did not have arthritis in the knees or hips. Both groups of women were evaluated at the start of the study for mobility and arthritis, and then again at 18, 36 and 72 months later. The women with osteoarthritis were more likely to report having pain most days and greater pain severity while walking and climbing stairs, the researchers reported in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research. The team also found that 26 percent of the women with osteoarthritis were obese, compared to 11 percent of the women without the disorder." - from HealthDay
"Osteoarthritis plus overweight greatly lessens an older woman's ability to get around without help, a new study finds. Researchers at the U.S. National Institute on Aging and the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore analyzed 199 women, aged 70 to 79, with lower extremity osteoarthritis who had no mobility problems at the start of the study. They were compared to 140 women in the same age group who did not have arthritis in the knees or hips. Both groups of women were evaluated at the start of the study for mobility and arthritis, and then again at 18, 36 and 72 months later. The women with osteoarthritis were more likely to report having pain most days and greater pain severity while walking and climbing stairs, the researchers reported in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research. The team also found that 26 percent of the women with osteoarthritis were obese, compared to 11 percent of the women without the disorder." - from HealthDay
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Many over 75 with Osteoarthritis don't get proper care
"Of the 339 people aged 75 and older who were interviewed, they received the recommended care for osteoarthritis -- the most common form of the disease -- just 57 percent of the time. And only 44 percent were told about potential side effects of their medications. That's an important omission because the frail condition of arthritis sufferers makes them vulnerable to drug side effects, said study author Dr. David A. Ganz, a research fellow in geriatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. The study, by researchers at Rand Health, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, appears in the April 15 issue of Arthritis Care and Research." - from HealthDay
"Of the 339 people aged 75 and older who were interviewed, they received the recommended care for osteoarthritis -- the most common form of the disease -- just 57 percent of the time. And only 44 percent were told about potential side effects of their medications. That's an important omission because the frail condition of arthritis sufferers makes them vulnerable to drug side effects, said study author Dr. David A. Ganz, a research fellow in geriatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. The study, by researchers at Rand Health, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, appears in the April 15 issue of Arthritis Care and Research." - from HealthDay
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Lupus on the radio - The Infinite Mind
"This week on The Infinite Mind, a woman travels from doctor to doctor complaining of aches and pains, confusion and depression, and is told repeatedly that there’s nothing wrong with her. But there’s something seriously wrong. It’s Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the body’s soft tissue and can dramatically affect the brain and behavior as well. Guest host Dr. Fred Goodwin explores a disease known as “The Great Pretender,” a disease with an array of baffling symptoms that make accurate and timely diagnosis difficult. Lupus is one of many autoimmune disorders including Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid arthritis which affect more than 8.5 million people in the United States. Dr. Goodwin’s guests include Amy Butler Greenfield, a Massachusetts-based writer with Lupus, and Virginia Ladd, president of the Autoimmune Disease Association. Lupus expert Dr. Daniel Wallace discusses the effects of Lupus on the brain and behavior as well as potential new therapies. We hear from actress Kellie Martin whose younger sister, Heather, died in 1998 of complications from Lupus. We also speak with Gail Bruner and Dr. Robert Scofield of the National Native American Lupus Project, about the impact that Lupus has on Native Americans and John Hunter Bear Gray, a Native American civil rights activist who is living with Lupus. Dr. Ann Traynor of the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center talks about the exciting results from stem cell transplants in people with severe Lupus symptoms. And commentary from Eugenie Seifer Olson, a Boston- based writer whose real-life experiences with Lupus turn up in the pages of her novel, The Pajama Game."
Listen online and read more from The Infinite Mind: Lupus: The Great Pretender
"This week on The Infinite Mind, a woman travels from doctor to doctor complaining of aches and pains, confusion and depression, and is told repeatedly that there’s nothing wrong with her. But there’s something seriously wrong. It’s Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the body’s soft tissue and can dramatically affect the brain and behavior as well. Guest host Dr. Fred Goodwin explores a disease known as “The Great Pretender,” a disease with an array of baffling symptoms that make accurate and timely diagnosis difficult. Lupus is one of many autoimmune disorders including Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid arthritis which affect more than 8.5 million people in the United States. Dr. Goodwin’s guests include Amy Butler Greenfield, a Massachusetts-based writer with Lupus, and Virginia Ladd, president of the Autoimmune Disease Association. Lupus expert Dr. Daniel Wallace discusses the effects of Lupus on the brain and behavior as well as potential new therapies. We hear from actress Kellie Martin whose younger sister, Heather, died in 1998 of complications from Lupus. We also speak with Gail Bruner and Dr. Robert Scofield of the National Native American Lupus Project, about the impact that Lupus has on Native Americans and John Hunter Bear Gray, a Native American civil rights activist who is living with Lupus. Dr. Ann Traynor of the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center talks about the exciting results from stem cell transplants in people with severe Lupus symptoms. And commentary from Eugenie Seifer Olson, a Boston- based writer whose real-life experiences with Lupus turn up in the pages of her novel, The Pajama Game."
Listen online and read more from The Infinite Mind: Lupus: The Great Pretender
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!