Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Tanning beds provide potential pain relief for fibromyalgia patients

Ultraviolet light may help relieve pain in fibromyalgia syndrome patients, according to a preliminary study at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center conducted by dermatology, rheumatology, and public health sciences researchers.

19 Jan 2009

Savella - Fibromyalgia treatment approved by FDA

Forest Laboratories, Inc. and Cypress Bioscience, Inc. have announced that Savella (milnacipran HCl), a selective serotonin and norepinephrine dual reuptake inhibitor, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the management of fibromyalgia.

19 Jan 2009

Women suffer more from rheumatoid arthritis

Tuulikki Sokka from the Jyvaskyla Central Hospital, Finland, along with other members of the Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with RA (QUEST-RA) program, explored possible associations between gender and disease activity measures, treatments, and clinical characteristics in more than 6,000 RA patients from 70 sites in 25 countries.

13 Jan 2009

New folate antagonists selectively target pathway important in rheumatoid arthritis

Methotrexate (MTX), a folate antagonist that blocks folic acid activity, is the most widely used disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) for rheumatoid arthritis.

13 Jan 2009

Strong quadriceps may benefit those with knee osteoarthritis

Studies on the influence of quadriceps strength on knee osteoarthritis (OA), one of the leading causes of disability among the elderly, have shown conflicting results.

13 Jan 2009

Discovery of cause of cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis

The scientists describe their work in this week's Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

12 Jan 2009

Researchers trick bone marrow into releasing mesenchymal stem cells

Scientists have tricked bone marrow into releasing extra adult stem cells into the bloodstream, a technique that they hope could one day be used to repair heart damage or mend a broken bone, in a new study published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

9 Jan 2009

Discovery of gene that increases susceptibility to Crohn's disease

Researchers at McGill University, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) and the McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre, along with colleagues at other Canadian and Belgian institutions, have discovered DNA variations in a gene that increases susceptibility to developing Crohn's disease.

8 Jan 2009

Health-care providers and patients differ on views of knee replacement

Total knee replacement (TKR) is a common treatment for osteoarthritis, a disease affecting more than 20 million Americans.

7 Jan 2009

Adolescents with arthritis need more information when transitioning to adult care

Helping adolescents with arthritis develop the skills and secure resources to assure that their health care needs are met as they transition to adulthood is an important issue in the U.S. In general, the frequency of which young people with special health care needs receive transition services is low and, to date, no studies have examined this frequency.

7 Jan 2009

New drug being tested for Fragile X syndrome

A pilot trial of an oral drug therapy called fenobam has shown promising initial results and could be a potential new treatment option for adult patients with Fragile X syndrome (FXS).

6 Jan 2009

Onyx Pharmaceuticals acquires license option on novel JAK2 inhibitors from S*BIO

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has acquired an option to license rights to SB1518, an orally available, potent, and selective inhibitor of Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2), and SB1578, also a JAK2 inhibitor, from S*BIO Pte Ltd based in Singapore.

6 Jan 2009

Adults with asthma at increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease

Mayo Clinic research shows adults with asthma are at increased risk of serious pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common bacteria causing middle ear infections and community acquired pneumonia.

22 Dec 2008

Miniature therapeutic ultrasound device

A prototype of a therapeutic ultrasound device, developed by a Cornell graduate student, fits in the palm of a hand, is battery-powered and packs enough punch to stabilize a gunshot wound or deliver drugs to brain cancer patients.

21 Dec 2008

Patients with skin disease psoriasis need evaluation of coronary artery disease risk

According to new recommendations in the December 10 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology (AJC), published by Elsevier, new research is called for and patients with severe forms of the skin disease psoriasis should receive evaluation and possible treatment to reduce their risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).

18 Dec 2008

Fewer hospitalizations for bleeding in digestive system

Improved treatments for acid reflux disease, ulcers, arthritis and other conditions helped reduce hospital admission rates for internal bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract by 14 percent from 1998 to 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

18 Dec 2008

Research highlights recognized disease risks associated with vitamin D deficiency

Once believed to be important only for bone health, vitamin D is now seen as having a critical function in maintaining the immune system throughout life.

17 Dec 2008

Policymakers, the media and the public should use 20 specific health indicators

Policymakers, the media, and the public should focus on 20 specific health indicators as "yardsticks" to measure the overall health and well-being of Americans, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

17 Dec 2008

Study to examine how breastfeeding impacts cost of healthcare for very low birth weight babies

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded nearly $3 million to support Rush University Medical Center's study analyzing how human breast milk impacts the health outcomes and health care cost savings for very low birth weight infants – babies less than 1500 grams.

16 Dec 2008

Study to identify best rehabilitation therapies for patients with traumatic brain injuries

Rush University Medical Center and 10 other healthcare facilities in the U.S. and Canada have been awarded a $4.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to identify which rehabilitation therapies, or combination of therapies, can best help victims of traumatic brain injuries.

15 Dec 2008