A team of researchers St. James Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, conducted a study that found the erectile dysfunction (ED) has a higher prevalence in men who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Previous studies have linked erectile dysfunction to vascular events, such as stroke and heart attacks, but this study indicates that there ...
In one of the most exciting discoveries, researchers at the Hanson Institute in Adelaide and the St. Vincent’s Institute in Melbourne believe they have made great progress on developing a new treatment which will ‘stop’ leukemia and inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.
The discovery relates to the way ...
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an auto-immune, inflammatory disease. People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have higher levels of inflammatory proteins, called cytokines, and other cytokine related factors in their blood. According to a recent study, those markers are present as many as three years before any RA symptoms emerge.
Previous studies have ...
Researchers at Imperial College London (officially The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) have identified a protein that acts as a “master switch” for certain white blood cells to govern whether they increase or impede inflammation. The results of this study could lead to the development of new treatments ...
Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an infectious bacterial disease that can result from the bite of an infected deer tick. Symptoms generally begin with a bulls-eye skin rash and flu-like symptoms followed by muscle and joint pain and potentially heart problems including heart block and palpitations. Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics if diagnosed early. Patients do not start treatment early enough develop intermittent or persistent arthritis, generally arthritis of the knee. Some of these patients experience arthritis symptoms for months or even years. This condition is known as antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis.
Recently, a team of researchers at the Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the National Center for Infections Diseases studied the survival of the bacteria that causes Lyme following antibiotic treatment. What they found was that joint inflammation persisted after the bacteria had been killed. Their report is being published in the December, 2007 issue of Arthritis Rheumatism.
The team compared blood samples taken from people that had contracted Lyme disease in the late 1970’s before the cause of the disease was known. Three classes of patients were identified which included patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis, antibiotic-responsive arthritis and non-antibiotic-treated controls.
3 blood samples were studied for each patient and were tested for levels of the bacteria. The non-antibiotic treated group had high levels of bacteria and persistent arthritis lasting 2 to 5 years. The antibiotic-reactive patients show reducing levels of bacteria and relief from joint swelling within the first 3 months of treatment. The antibiotic-refractory patients showed slight increases in bacteria during the first 1 to 3 months of treatment with persistent arthritis for an average of 10 months. However, the bacteria level did decline to the level of the other antibiotic treated group within 4 to 6 months.
They concluded that antibiotics did result in the eradication of the bacteria even though the arthritis symptoms could continue after the infection was cleared.
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Originally posted 2007-11-29 21:03:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
May is national Arthritis Awareness Month and if you hadn’t noticed, there are several activities being held around the U.S. Many communities are holding walks or runs to raise funds for arthritis research.
The Los Angeles walk in Brentwood had over 650 participants that raised nearly $200,000. The participants included former Dodger Ron Cey.
Nearly 300 people participated in the Arthritis Walk in Charlottesville, many who walked with their 4 legged friends. 20 teams participated in the 2nd annual run/walk in Bismark North Dakota.
If you are interested in helping out in one of these events you can check the Arthritis Foundation’s event page to find the date of the event near you.
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Originally posted 2008-05-05 18:49:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has begun an investigation into links between anti-TNF (tumor necrosis factor) drugs, used to treat arthritis, and an increased risk of cancer in children. TNF blockers, sold under the names Enbrel, Remicade and Humira, are commonly used for the treatment of arthritis. The review is being conducted by the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
The FDA has received 30 reports of cancer in children under the age of 18 who had been treated for JIA with anti-TNF drugs along with other medications, such as methotrexate, or similar immunosuppressant drugs.
Nearly 50% of the reports state the patients developed Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The other reports indicate development of melanoma, leukemia and solid organ cancers.
Besides rheumatoid arthritis, TNF blockers are used to treat psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, as well as other diseases. TNF blockers are know to result in inflammation and weakening of the immune system.
The manufacturers of these drugs have been directed by the FDA to provide information about all TNF blocker recipients who have developed cancer, and in some cases to track cancer reports for 10 years. The FDA has also requested the assistance of medical professionals and patients in reporting any side effects from TNF blockers through the MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm.
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Originally posted 2008-06-06 22:25:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Recently released research says that nearly half of all adults will develop osteoarthritis of the knee by age 85. People who had previous knee injuries or are obese have an even higher risk.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reviewed data on more that 3,000 people from Johnston County, N.C. All of the participants, who were all over 45 years of age, were interviewed, given physical exams and X-rays. They were then evaluated twice over an average of 6 years. The average age of the group was 61.
At the beginning of the study, approximately 60% of the participants were overweight or obese and 15% already had knee osteoarthritis. In spite of the research group being located within a small geographic area, researchers believe that the results would likely apply to all Americans.
The results of the study showed that the lifetime risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee was 44.7%. Several factors were ruled out as contributors to that risk, those being race, sex and level of education.
Two factors that did contribute were the existence of a prior knee injury and whether or not the patient was obese or overweight.
Those participants with a previous knee injury have a risk of 56.8%, compared to 42.3% for those without a prior knee injury.
Those people with a normal weight have a risk of 30.2% of developing osteoarthritis of the knee. However, those that were overweight increased their risk to 46.9% and those who were obese have an even higher risk of 60.5%. People that were normal weight at age 18, but were obese or overweight by age 45 had the greatest risk.
“These results show how important weight management is for people throughout their lives,” says Joanne Jordan, M.D., in a news release. Dr. Jordan is principal investigator of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project and a senior study researcher. “Simply put, people who keep their weight within the normal range are much less likely to develop symptomatic knee osteoarthritis as they get older and thus much less likely to face the need for major surgical procedures, such as knee replacement surgery.”
The results of the 13 year study were published in the September 15th issue of Arthritis Care and Research.
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Originally posted 2008-09-22 20:44:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
According to a new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over half of Americans with heart disease also have arthritis. They also found that people that have both diseases are less likely to physically active than those with only heart disease.
The study is one of the first to measure the relationship between the two diseases as well as the impacts of arthritis on physical activity of those with heart disease.
“People with arthritis often fear physical activity will worsen their pain – and that’s a major myth,” said Patience White, MD, MA, chief public health officer for the Arthritis Foundation.
Chad Helmick, M.D., a co-author of the study and medical epidemiologist with the CDC, says adults with arthritis and heart disease have unique barriers to being physically active such as concerns about pain, aggravating or worsening joint damage and not knowing how much or what types of physical activity are safe for them.
Research shows that participating in joint-friendly activities such as walking, swimming, biking and arthritis-specific exercise programs can help manage both conditions. For patients with heart disease, physical activity helps to lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. For those who have arthritis, physical activity reduces pain, improves function and delays disability.
This is similar to a study from 2008 by the CDC found that more than half of adults with diabetes also had arthritis and those patients that had both diseases were more likely to have higher levels of inactivity. This also led to problems managing both diseases.
The study was published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on February 27th .
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Originally posted 2009-03-26 14:29:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
If you suffer from severe osteoarthritis, surgery may be in store for you.
Arthritis literally means joint inflammation. Most of the cases of arthritis involve the body joints but joints are not the only body parts to be affected by arthritis. In its various forms arthritis can also affect other parts of the body. It is one of the most commonly occurring diseases affecting people of all ages. However most of the victims are able to go about their business as usual.
At a body joint, ends of two bones come together. The ends of the bones are covered with cartilage which makes the surfaces of bone ends smooth for sliding against each other. The smoothness of surfaces makes it possible to carry out the joint movement easily and painlessly with minimum friction thousands of times in a day. The two bones of a joint are held together firmly in place by ligaments which also form a capsule around the joint. The surface of ligaments is lined with synovial membrane which secretes synovial fluid for lubricating the joint.
Osteoarthritis, one of the more common types, results when cartilage wears out. When this happens the ends of the bones in contact with each other lose their protective cover as well as the smooth gliding surface. The bone ends then directly rub against each other. The joint becomes stiff and starts paining. This osteoarthritis involves joints which are exposed to frequent wear and tear such as fingers, big toes, knees, hips, lower spine.
Surgery is no small choice, and doctors and the surgeons they work with are naturally reluctant to operate unless you meet criteria that they consider important.
Hand Arthritis Surgery
Two of the key factors that all surgeons probably consider are the life-expectancies of the artificial joint and of you. Historically artificial joints last about 15 to 20 years. New technologies may extend this, but there’s really no one offering a guarantee that this will be so. For the new technologies, the long-term data just isn’t there yet. (That’s why it’s called “new.”)
Doctors call the replacement of an artificial joint gone bad a “revision.” And revisions are sometimes more difficult than the original operation. This also forms one more cause for reluctance in treating younger patients.
There seem to be two models that doctors and the surgeons they work with go by.
Model #1: Age and pain intensity.
In this model, the age is a critically important factor. If you’re expected to live, on average, to age 75 or 80, and the joint is only going to last 15 years, surgeons using this model will be reluctant to operate until you’re 65 years old.
The other parameter is pain intensity. No matter how old you are, if you need the replacement because the pain is just unbearable, many (most?) physicians will agree to operate.
Model #2: Add “life style”
In this model, the factors of the first model are still considered, but to them is added the question of whether you’re sacrificing your life right now in order to have some kind of “ideal state” when you’re 65.
This is clearly a subjective area for both the patient and the doctor, but in many cases, the evidence is so overwhelmingly clear that the call for a replacement of the joint is considered very reasonable.
And there are clear advantages to getting the artificial joint while you are younger.
Generally, you’re better able to withstand surgery when you’re younger than when you’re in your latter years.
Assuming the operation and recovery go well, you’ll have years of a better life that you can look back on when you’re older – even if at that time you get sidelined because a revision isn’t possible.
Technology is improving all the time. By the time you need a revision (assuming that the newer materials do wear out in 15 to 20 years), the procedures may be in place to make revisions much easier to successfully perform.
Concluding Remarks
This article is a clarion call for osteoarthritis patients to be advocates on their own behalf and to have a discussion of the effects that your osteoarthritis is having on your life. If you are severely restricted in what you can do, if your family is suffering so as to compensate for your pain, and if you can imagine what it would be like for you to see your loved ones in pain and know that this is what they feel about you right now, then it may be past due for you to have this conversation.
And if your physician and surgeon will not take lifestyle as an important factor, seek out a second, third and fourth doctor who will.
This is NOT a call for unnecessary or ill-advised surgery. It is a call for a very important discussion that you should have with your doctor.
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Originally posted 2010-01-04 07:00:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The recent death of John Travolta’s son, Jett, has highlighted an uncommon disease known as Kawasaki disease. According to the Arthritis Foundation, Kawasaki disease is one of over 100 types of arthritis.
What is Kawasaki disease?
Kawasaki disease is a form of vasculitis, or inflammation of the blood vessels. It typically develops in young children with over 80% of patients under the age of 5, and affects boys more than girls.
Kawasaki disease was first identified by Tomasaku Kawasaki in Japan in 1967. It was also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, Kawasaki’s disease, Kawasaki’s syndrome and infantile polyarteritis.
Kawasaki disease is considered in the U.S. to be the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children.
What is the cause of Kawasaki disease?
The cause of Kawasaki disease has not been discovered. There are theories that it is the result of an infection, but this has not yet been proven. There are also those that believe it is an autoimmune condition. In addition, there appears to be a genetic link to development of the disease.
What are the symptoms of Kawasaki disease?
Kawasaki disease develops quickly and is very aggressive for several weeks. After the disease clears, there can still be cardiac complications that appear years later.
The symptoms include:
High-grade fever, 102 °F to 104 °F, that lasts for more than 5 days if left untreated
Conjunctivitis, also know as “Pink Eye”
Chapped, bright red lips
Red mucous membranes in the mouth
Strawberry looking tongue
Joint pain and swelling on both sides of the body
Rapid heart beat
Peeling skin on the palms and soles of the feet
Palms of the hands and soles of the feet are red
Swollen lymph nodes, usually in the neck area
Irritability
Other symptoms can include abdominal pain, diarrhea, jaundice and meningitis.
What is the treatment for Kawasaki disease?
Children should be hospitalized and treated by a physician experienced in treating Kawasaki disease. The usual course of treatment includes intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) given in high doses. In addition, Kawasaki disease is one of the few cases where aspirin is used to treat children. Aspirin is given in high doses until the fever subsides, and then in low doses for two to three months to prevent blood clotting.
What is the prognosis?
If the disease is promptly diagnosed and treatment started quickly the recovery is generally rapid. If left untreated the patient will usually recover, although in a longer time frame than if treated. However, if untreated the risk of coronary artery disease is much higher.
Overall, about 2% of Kawasaki disease patients die from complications of coronary inflammation. Patients who have had Kawasaki disease should have an echocardiogram initially every few weeks, and then every 1–2 years to screen for progression of cardiac involvement.
It is also possible that the patient may experience a relapse of the symptoms shortly after treatment with IVIG which would require hospital treatment again. Also, treatment with aspirin can increase the risk of bleeding and has been associated with the risk of Reye’s syndrome in children.
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Originally posted 2009-01-26 14:15:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an infectious bacterial disease that can result from the bite of an infected deer tick. Symptoms generally begin with a bulls-eye skin rash and flu-like symptoms followed by muscle and joint pain and potentially heart problems including heart block and palpitations. Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics if diagnosed early. Patients do not start treatment early enough develop intermittent or persistent arthritis, generally arthritis of the knee. Some of these patients experience arthritis symptoms for months or even years. This condition is known as antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis.
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