Rheumatism News and Research

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Rheumatism is a group of disorders marked by inflammation or pain in the connective tissue structures of the body. These structures include bone, cartilage, and fat.

Study finds knee pain patterns vary among women over a 12-year period

New research shows 63% of women age 50 and older reported persistent, incident, or intermittent knee pain during a 12-year study period. Predictors for persistent pain included higher body mass index (BMI), previous knee injury, and radiographic osteoarthritis.

19 Dec 2011

Enrollment complete in ThromboGenics, BioInvent TB-402 Phase IIb trial on VTE

ThromboGenics NV and co-development partner BioInvent International announce today that they have completed the enrolment of a 632-patient Phase IIb trial with their novel long-acting anticoagulant TB-402 for the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after total hip surgery. The trial has recruited patients from 36 centers across Europe.

17 Dec 2011

Biochemists identify structure of hydroxyurea that specifically inhibits proteasome

As the "recycling plant" of the cell, the proteasome regulates vitally important functions. When it is inhibited, the cell chokes on its own waste. Cancer cells, in particular, are very sensitive because they need the proteasome for their uncontrolled growth. Biochemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have now identified the lead structure of a new class of drugs that attacks the proteasome in an unusual way. New medication could be developed on the basis of this previously unknown binding mechanism.

22 Nov 2011

Cognitive-behavioral therapy safe and effective for juvenile fibromyalgia

A recent trial shows cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) reduces functional disability and depressive symptoms in adolescents with juvenile fibromyalgia. The psychological intervention was found to be safe and effective, and proved to be superior to disease management education.

22 Nov 2011

SHARPIN protein regulates human cell activity

The research teams headed by Prof. Johanna Ivaska (University of Turku and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) and Prof. Marko Salmi (University of Turku and the National Institute for Health and Welfare) have discovered that the SHARPIN protein regulates human cell activity.

17 Nov 2011

Sleep problems may increase risk of fibromyalgia among women

Researchers from Norway have uncovered an association between sleep problems and increased risk of fibromyalgia in women.

14 Nov 2011

ACR honors NYU Langone professor with Distinguished Basic Investigator Award

Steven B. Abramson, MD, senior vice president and vice dean of education, faculty and academic affairs and professor, Departments of Medicine and Pathology at NYU Langone Medical Center received the Distinguished Basic Investigator Award at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) & Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) annual scientific meeting this week in Chicago.

8 Nov 2011

Biologics reduce fatigue in people with RA

Treatment with a biologic agent reduces fatigue in people with rheumatoid arthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago.

7 Nov 2011

Potential predictors of spinal damage progression in people with spondyloarthritis

The presence of syndesmophytes (bony growths in the spine), acute phase reactants (proteins that are released into the blood in response to inflammation), and smoking status can all serve as predictors for the progression of structural damage in the spine in people with spondyloarthritis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago.

7 Nov 2011

Scientists identify genetic mutation that causes rare childhood disease

An international collaboration of scientists, including researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, has identified a genetic mutation that causes a rare childhood disease characterized predominantly by inflammation and fat loss.

1 Nov 2011

African-Americans have higher burden of multiple, large-joint OA

New research suggests African Americans have a higher burden of multiple, large-joint osteoarthritis (OA), and may not be recognized based on the current definition of "generalized OA."

21 Oct 2011

Improper footwear may lead to severe foot pain, impairment and disability in gout patients

New research shows that use of poor footwear is common among patients with gout. According to the study published in Arthritis Care & Research, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), gout patients who make poor footwear choices experienced higher foot-related pain, impairment and disability. Gout patients also reported that comfort, fit, support and cost were the most important factors for selecting footwear.

3 Oct 2011

Physical activity improves arthritis symptoms in obese mice

Adding another incentive to exercise, scientists at Duke University Medical Center have found that physical activity improves arthritis symptoms even among obese mice that continue to chow down on a high-fat diet.

27 Sep 2011

Adult stem cells hold hope for treatment of lupus

With a patient's own adult stem cells, there is new hope for the intractable autoimmune disease lupus - systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) - which is difficult to cure.

17 Sep 2011

Researchers identify bouncer protein that plays a vital role in RA prevention

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered why the immune cells of people with rheumatoid arthritis become hyperactive and attack the joints and bones. The immune cells have lost their bouncer, the burly protein that keeps them in line the same way a bouncer in a nightclub controls rowdy patrons.

8 Sep 2011

Cam impingement may increase risk of hip OA in young men

Hip impingement may be a risk factor of osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. A new study reveals that the presence of an underlying deformity, known as cam impingement, is associated with hip damage in young men without any arthritis symptoms and detected using magnetic resonance imaging.

8 Sep 2011

Chondroitin sulfate decreases pain and improves hand function in patients with OA

New research shows that chondroitin sulfate significantly decreased pain and improved hand function in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand compared with those in the placebo group. Results of the clinical trial available today in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), also report that chondroitin sulfate improves grip strength and relieves morning stiffness.

6 Sep 2011

Roche Canada grants Vasculitis and Scleroderma Fellowship

Roche Canada announced today its support of a Vasculitis and Scleroderma Fellowship through the Division of Rheumatology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Dr. Ada Man, a recent graduate of the UBC rheumatology residency program, is the recipient of the one-year Fellowship.

23 Aug 2011

Study: More attention needs to be paid for cartilage during RA diagnosis

This could lead to a paradigm shift in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: rheumatologists at the Medical University of Vienna have discovered, through a secondary study involving 3,000 female patients, that the condition of the cartilage in inflammatory joint rheumatism needs to be paid more attention than has previously been the case. Until now, the focus lay mainly on investigating the damage to the bone.

23 Aug 2011

Arthritis sufferers are not involved in physical activity critical to their health: Study

Being physically active is one of best ways people with arthritis can improve their health, but a new study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shows that more than half of women and 40 percent of men with arthritis are virtually couch potatoes.

11 Aug 2011