Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Researchers suggest that fibromyalgia is a spectrum disorder

20 Feb 2013

Meloxicam recognizes and treats osteoarthritis in cats

Scientists at the University of Montreal's Quebec Research Group in Animal Pharmacology have found a way to recognize and treat osteoarthritis in cats - a condition that the owner might not notice and that can make even petting painful.

20 Feb 2013

Fibromyalgia prevalence is 2.1% of the general population in Germany

Researchers have determined that fibromyalgia prevalence is 2.1% of the general population in Germany. Results appearing in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), suggest that fibromyalgia is a spectrum disorder rather than a categorical illness. Additionally, a number of fibromyalgia cases in the general population satisfy proposed criteria for physical symptom disorder—the presence of one or more physical symptoms that impair function, which cannot be explained by another clinical or psychiatric illness.

19 Feb 2013

Antibody test ‘inappropriate’ without connective tissue symptoms

The positive antinuclear antibody test is often used inappropriately in patients without indications of connective tissue disease, real-world research suggests.

18 Feb 2013

Morning, smooth ambulatory BP control ‘rarely achieved’ in general practice

Most patients receiving treatment for hypertension do not have their morning blood pressure levels controlled, and do not achieve smooth daytime control, researchers report.

18 Feb 2013

Study identifies regions of genes linked to Beh-et's disease

Researchers don't know the exact cause of Beh-et's disease, a chronic condition that leads to oral and genital sores and serious complications such as blindness, but new research brings better understanding to what makes some people more susceptible to being affected.

16 Feb 2013

Benaroya Research Institute establishes T1D Exchange Biobank Operations Center

In a major effort to advance discoveries in type 1 diabetes research, the Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI) established the T1D Exchange Biobank Operations Center with a $4.4 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

15 Feb 2013

Regeneron fourth quarter total revenues increase to $415 million

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year 2012 and provided an update on development programs.

14 Feb 2013

Combination of Methotrexat and Tofacitinib shows promise against rheumatoid arthritis

Together with colleagues from the international rheumatic diseases research community, scientists of the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin have presented a new therapy approach for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic form of joint inflammation.

14 Feb 2013

IAP antagonists may actually increase risk of bone tumors

Cancer drugs should kill tumors, not encourage their spread. But new evidence suggests that an otherwise promising class of drugs may actually increase the risk of tumors spreading to bone, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

14 Feb 2013

Antibody therapeutics targeting GPCRs to be developed by alliance between MorphoSys and Heptares

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) and UK-based Heptares Therapeutics, the leading GPCR drug discovery and development company, have signed an agreement to discover novel antibody therapeutics targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are membrane proteins involved in a broad range of biological processes and diseases.

13 Feb 2013

Platelet-rich plasma holds great promise in treating knee OA

A study by researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery has shown that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) holds great promise for treating patients with knee osteoarthritis.

13 Feb 2013

AARDA to mark National Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month with new initiatives

March is National Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month 2013. To mark the annual event, the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association Inc. (AARDA) is encouraging the national and local media around the country to report stories on autoimmune diseases (AD) and autoimmunity as a category of disease.

13 Feb 2013

UV prevention measures may influence rheumatoid arthritis incidence

Increased ultraviolet-B exposure reduces the risk for rheumatoid arthritis in women, US researchers suggest, but the drive to protect against skin cancer in recent years may have negated this benefit.

12 Feb 2013

Higher arm reading ‘overestimates true BP’

Using the higher of left and right arm single blood pressure readings taken sequentially leads to an overestimation of patients’ “true” level as determined by ambulatory monitoring, UK researchers warn.

11 Feb 2013

CD8+ Tregs can remove pathogenic T cell subsets and inhibit progression of RA

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack the joints, causing inflammation, swelling, and erosion. Specific sets of immune cells, known as T cells, are responsible for inducing disease. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Harvey Cantor at Harvard University analyzed the contributions of different subsets of T cells to an RA-like condition in mice.

11 Feb 2013

Majority of Americans not aware of detrimental effects of obesity

A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggests that few Americans realize the many ways obesity can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer, arthritis, sleep apnea and other less common conditions.

11 Feb 2013

Infusions of regulatory T cells turn off autoimmune attack on joints

Farber Cancer Institute scientists have demonstrated a new strategy for treating autoimmune disease that successfully blocked the development of rheumatoid arthritis in a mouse model. They say it holds promise for improved treatment of arthritis and other autoimmune disorders in people.

10 Feb 2013

Biogen Idec, Sobi release data from rFVIIIFc and rFIXFc phase 3 trials on hemophilia

Biogen Idec and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) released data that confirmed the ability of investigational recombinant factors VIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc) and IX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc) to provide long-lasting protection from bleeding with fewer injections than are required with the current standard of care for people with hemophilia.

10 Feb 2013

Research roundup: 'Shared decision making' can reduce costs, improve care; Effects of mental health parity

With shared decision making, patients and their clinicians collaboratively review the risks and benefits of available treatments options while also considering the patients' preferences and values.

10 Feb 2013