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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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Twins studied for RA genetic markers
"While its specific cause is not yet known, RA has been linked to an inherited susceptibility. Interestingly, despite its strong genetic component, RA's occurrence among siblings seems to be random. In the quest to identify disease-specific gene expression profiles in patients with RA, researchers at the University of Michigan Medical Center turned to an ideal population: genetically identical, disease-discordant twins. The July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism highlights the results of their state-of-the-art genetic analysis." - from News-Medical.net
"While its specific cause is not yet known, RA has been linked to an inherited susceptibility. Interestingly, despite its strong genetic component, RA's occurrence among siblings seems to be random. In the quest to identify disease-specific gene expression profiles in patients with RA, researchers at the University of Michigan Medical Center turned to an ideal population: genetically identical, disease-discordant twins. The July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism highlights the results of their state-of-the-art genetic analysis." - from News-Medical.net
Monday, June 26, 2006
New injection method for Humira
"Health care products maker Abbott Laboratories Inc. said Monday it received Food and Drug Administration for a more convenient way for patients to take its arthritis drug Humira. The company said it received approval for its Humira Pen, a pen-like device that patients placed against the skin and push a button, causing a retractable needle to inject the medicine." - from Associated Press
"Health care products maker Abbott Laboratories Inc. said Monday it received Food and Drug Administration for a more convenient way for patients to take its arthritis drug Humira. The company said it received approval for its Humira Pen, a pen-like device that patients placed against the skin and push a button, causing a retractable needle to inject the medicine." - from Associated Press
Vioxx article corrected for short-term risk
"More than a month after news surfaced that Vioxx might cause cardiovascular side effects before the 18 months originally cited in an influential 2005 study, the New England Journal of Medicine on Monday issued a formal correction to its article on the study to reflect the new information. 'This correction retracts the claim that there is an 18-month delay before patients experience an increased risk while taking Vioxx,' said Dr. Steven Nissen, interim chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, and the author of a related letter, also released Monday by the journal. - from HealthDay
"More than a month after news surfaced that Vioxx might cause cardiovascular side effects before the 18 months originally cited in an influential 2005 study, the New England Journal of Medicine on Monday issued a formal correction to its article on the study to reflect the new information. 'This correction retracts the claim that there is an 18-month delay before patients experience an increased risk while taking Vioxx,' said Dr. Steven Nissen, interim chairman of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, and the author of a related letter, also released Monday by the journal. - from HealthDay
Friday, June 23, 2006
Osteoarthritis set to explode
"Osteoarthritis cases will virtually explode during the next 25 years.... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the number of arthritis cases will rise by nearly 40% by 2030. The number of boomers who are still very active and America's obesity problem are two factors that might well push the number beyond that prediction, says Charles Helmick, an arthritis expert at the CDC" - from USA Today
"Osteoarthritis cases will virtually explode during the next 25 years.... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the number of arthritis cases will rise by nearly 40% by 2030. The number of boomers who are still very active and America's obesity problem are two factors that might well push the number beyond that prediction, says Charles Helmick, an arthritis expert at the CDC" - from USA Today
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Cancer drug slows scleroderma
"A study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health shows it may be possible to slow the deterioration caused by scleroderma. About 300,000 Americans, primarily women, suffer from the autoimmune disease scleroderma. The condition is characterized by hardening of the skin and organs....In the current study, researchers announced "small but statistically significant improvement in lung function and less shortness of breath" in patients who were treated with the cancer drug cyclophosphamide. Additionally, the treated patients reported feeling healthier and more energetic." - from Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs
"A study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health shows it may be possible to slow the deterioration caused by scleroderma. About 300,000 Americans, primarily women, suffer from the autoimmune disease scleroderma. The condition is characterized by hardening of the skin and organs....In the current study, researchers announced "small but statistically significant improvement in lung function and less shortness of breath" in patients who were treated with the cancer drug cyclophosphamide. Additionally, the treated patients reported feeling healthier and more energetic." - from Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs
Abatacept phase III trial results
An alternative drug for rheumatoid arthritis may help reduce symptoms in patients who don't respond to standard treatment, a new study shows. The 652 patients in the one-year, phase III study took an older medication, methotrexate, to treat their rheumatoid arthritis, plus either the new drug, abatacept, or a placebo. All of the patients had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis for at least nine years and had not responded well to methotrexate alone prior to the trial. - from HealthDay
An alternative drug for rheumatoid arthritis may help reduce symptoms in patients who don't respond to standard treatment, a new study shows. The 652 patients in the one-year, phase III study took an older medication, methotrexate, to treat their rheumatoid arthritis, plus either the new drug, abatacept, or a placebo. All of the patients had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis for at least nine years and had not responded well to methotrexate alone prior to the trial. - from HealthDay
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Mayo Clinic on pain pill tolerance, addiction and dependence
"You've been taking over-the-counter pain medications - but they're not helping. You'd like to try something stronger. You're also somewhat hesitant. What about all the people who've wound up fighting a pain-pill addiction? Might that happen to you?" - from MayoClinic.com
"You've been taking over-the-counter pain medications - but they're not helping. You'd like to try something stronger. You're also somewhat hesitant. What about all the people who've wound up fighting a pain-pill addiction? Might that happen to you?" - from MayoClinic.com
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Exercise and sports participation increased after ankle replacements
"People who are hobbled by severe ankle arthritis are often able to participate in moderate exercise or sports activities after they undergo ankle replacement surgery, study findings suggest. As with knees and hips, arthritis-damaged ankles can be replaced with a prosthetic joint. While studies have shown that many people with knee or hip replacements can return to moderate exercise, much less is known about the prospect of physical activity after an ankle replacement. In the new study, researchers found that while only about one third of patients were physically active before ankle replacement surgery, 56 percent were exercising two to four years afterward -- most often hiking, biking or swimming." - from MedlinePlus
"People who are hobbled by severe ankle arthritis are often able to participate in moderate exercise or sports activities after they undergo ankle replacement surgery, study findings suggest. As with knees and hips, arthritis-damaged ankles can be replaced with a prosthetic joint. While studies have shown that many people with knee or hip replacements can return to moderate exercise, much less is known about the prospect of physical activity after an ankle replacement. In the new study, researchers found that while only about one third of patients were physically active before ankle replacement surgery, 56 percent were exercising two to four years afterward -- most often hiking, biking or swimming." - from MedlinePlus
Monday, June 12, 2006
Small study suggests mother-child CFS connection
Mothers of adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome exhibit fatigue and psychologic symptoms similar to their child in contrast with the fathers. The striking difference between the absent association in fathers and the evident association in mothers suggests that the shared symptom complex of mother and child is the result of an interplay between genetic vulnerability and environmental factors. - study abstract from Pediatrics
Mothers of adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome exhibit fatigue and psychologic symptoms similar to their child in contrast with the fathers. The striking difference between the absent association in fathers and the evident association in mothers suggests that the shared symptom complex of mother and child is the result of an interplay between genetic vulnerability and environmental factors. - study abstract from Pediatrics
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Earlier, longer treatments equal more spent on drugs
"Americans spent 33.9 percent more in 2005 on anti-inflammatories -- the biggest percentage increase in any specialty drug category, a new U.S. report finds. Drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases -- such as rheumatoid arthritis -- include the injectable brands Enbrel, Humira, Kineret and Remicade. These drugs have an average cost of $1,417 per prescription and comprise more than 19 percent of the yearly total that most patients are allowed to spend on a specialty drug in a drug benefit plan. The biggest reason for this dramatic increase in spending for these drugs? According to the 2006 Express Scripts Specialty Drug Trend Report, treatments for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis are beginning earlier in a patient's life and lasting longer. Additional uses for medications -- such as Enbrel being used to treat psoriasis -- are also causing more patients to use these drugs." - from HealthDay
"Americans spent 33.9 percent more in 2005 on anti-inflammatories -- the biggest percentage increase in any specialty drug category, a new U.S. report finds. Drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases -- such as rheumatoid arthritis -- include the injectable brands Enbrel, Humira, Kineret and Remicade. These drugs have an average cost of $1,417 per prescription and comprise more than 19 percent of the yearly total that most patients are allowed to spend on a specialty drug in a drug benefit plan. The biggest reason for this dramatic increase in spending for these drugs? According to the 2006 Express Scripts Specialty Drug Trend Report, treatments for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis are beginning earlier in a patient's life and lasting longer. Additional uses for medications -- such as Enbrel being used to treat psoriasis -- are also causing more patients to use these drugs." - from HealthDay
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Some progress for Fibromyalgia treatments
"Fibromyalgia is a chronic, musculoskeletal pain condition that predominately affects women. Although fibromyalgia is common and associated with substantial morbidity and disability, there are no US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments. However, progress has been made in identifying pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for fibromyalgia." - research abstract from Arthritis Research & Therapy
"Fibromyalgia is a chronic, musculoskeletal pain condition that predominately affects women. Although fibromyalgia is common and associated with substantial morbidity and disability, there are no US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments. However, progress has been made in identifying pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for fibromyalgia." - research abstract from Arthritis Research & Therapy
Monday, June 05, 2006
Music soothes the aching body: study
"People who suffer chronic pain from arthritis or other conditions may find some relief by listening to their favorite tunes, a small study suggests. Researchers found that when chronic pain patients listened to music one hour per day for a week, their levels of pain, depression and disability all declined. They also felt empowered to help themselves feel better, which appeared to drive the improvement in depression. "One of the most interesting findings was that it doesn't matter what kind of music you listen to," said lead study author Dr. Sandra L. Siedliecki, a senior nurse researcher at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. "Just use the music that makes you feel the way you want to feel," she said in an interview." - from Reuters Health
"People who suffer chronic pain from arthritis or other conditions may find some relief by listening to their favorite tunes, a small study suggests. Researchers found that when chronic pain patients listened to music one hour per day for a week, their levels of pain, depression and disability all declined. They also felt empowered to help themselves feel better, which appeared to drive the improvement in depression. "One of the most interesting findings was that it doesn't matter what kind of music you listen to," said lead study author Dr. Sandra L. Siedliecki, a senior nurse researcher at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. "Just use the music that makes you feel the way you want to feel," she said in an interview." - from Reuters Health
Friday, June 02, 2006
Etanercept (Enbrel) looks good at seven years, study says
"Etanercept treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is safe and effective in some patients for 7 years or more, according to a report in The Journal of Rheumatology. Etanercept, sold under the trade name Enbrel, is a drug with anti-inflammatory effects that has been shown to be safe and effective for rheumatoid arthritis, the authors explain, but most published studies have followed patients for only a few years. Dr. Larry W. Moreland from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and colleagues evaluated the safety and effectiveness of etanercept in 344 rheumatoid arthritis patients who were enrolled in initial clinical trials and were "continuing to receive etanercept as of the cutoff date for this report. The longest individual treatment was for 8.2 years." - from MedlinePlus
"Etanercept treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is safe and effective in some patients for 7 years or more, according to a report in The Journal of Rheumatology. Etanercept, sold under the trade name Enbrel, is a drug with anti-inflammatory effects that has been shown to be safe and effective for rheumatoid arthritis, the authors explain, but most published studies have followed patients for only a few years. Dr. Larry W. Moreland from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and colleagues evaluated the safety and effectiveness of etanercept in 344 rheumatoid arthritis patients who were enrolled in initial clinical trials and were "continuing to receive etanercept as of the cutoff date for this report. The longest individual treatment was for 8.2 years." - from MedlinePlus
New markers discovered - could help spondylarthritis
"An international team of scientists has identified new biomarkers that could help develop improved treatments for spondylarthritis (SpA). SpA refers to a group of chronic autoimmune conditions, including ankylosing spondylitis and arthritis associated with psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases, primarily those affecting the peripheral joints. In this study of 52 SpA patients, researchers identified the new biomarkers after analyzing tissue from the synovium, the thin membrane lining the joint space and the primary target of inflammation. The researchers found that changes in SpA disease activity are accompanied by a series of distinct and measurable events in synovial tissue." - from HealthDay
"An international team of scientists has identified new biomarkers that could help develop improved treatments for spondylarthritis (SpA). SpA refers to a group of chronic autoimmune conditions, including ankylosing spondylitis and arthritis associated with psoriasis and inflammatory bowel diseases, primarily those affecting the peripheral joints. In this study of 52 SpA patients, researchers identified the new biomarkers after analyzing tissue from the synovium, the thin membrane lining the joint space and the primary target of inflammation. The researchers found that changes in SpA disease activity are accompanied by a series of distinct and measurable events in synovial tissue." - from HealthDay
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!