Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Pine bark naturally reduces osteoarthritis knee pain

Affecting more than 10 million Americans, Osteoarthritis of the knee (OA) is one of the five leading causes of disability among the elderly.

5 Dec 2007

Innovative drug production project secures funding from Technology Strategy Board

PolyTherics, a biopharmaceutical spin-out company from Imperial College London and the London School of Pharmacy, has announced that it has secured funding from the Technology Strategy Board.

29 Nov 2007

$High-trauma fractures in older men and women linked to osteoporosis$

High-trauma fractures in older men and women linked to osteoporosis

High-Trauma Fractures in Older Men and Women Linked to Osteoporosis Researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) Research Institute are challenging a widely held belief that fractures resulting from major trauma, such as automobile accidents, are not related to osteoporosis, the common disease that makes bones weak and prone to fracture.

29 Nov 2007

Scientists adopt fresh approach in quest for new therapies

Scientists are to pool their expertise in human health to pioneer an innovative approach to treating common diseases.

27 Nov 2007

Experimental gene therapy trial for arthritis allowed to resume

Trials in the U.S. of a controversial and experimental gene therapy have been given the green light to resume following the tragic death of a volunteer in July.

27 Nov 2007

Omega-3 fatty acids protect the brain against Parkinson's disease

Omega-3 fatty acids protect the brain against Parkinson's disease, according to a study by Université Laval researchers published in the online edition of the FASEB Journal, the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

27 Nov 2007

Major clinical trial of osteoporosis screening begins

Researchers are looking for local women in the Weston/North Somerset area over the age of 70 to take part in the second phase of a major clinical trial to find out if screening older women for osteoporosis can help to reduce the numbers who suffer bone fractures.

26 Nov 2007

Common medications could cause dry eye experts say

Common oral and topical medications could be causing dry eye in patients, according to optometrists.

22 Nov 2007

Early warning for anti-smoking drug Chantix

The drug watchdog in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has expressed concerns regarding the anti-smoking drug Chantix.

21 Nov 2007

So-called success of 'shooting galleries' in Britain draws a mixed response

A pilot scheme in London where addicts can inject themselves with heroin in a special clinic appears to have reduced drug use and crime.

21 Nov 2007

New research helps explain how tumors go undetected by the body

Scientists studying how immune cells are regulated in healthy individuals, have made a key discovery in understanding why tumours may go undetected by the immune system and remain untreated by the body's own natural defences.

19 Nov 2007

Combining medications often best strategy to battle rheumatoid arthritis

For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, combining one well-known, lower-cost synthetic drug with one of six biologic medications often works best to reduce joint swelling or tenderness, according to a new report by researchers at the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center, which is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

19 Nov 2007

Geisinger rheumatologists redesign osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis care

With the nation collectively spending about $18 billion per year on osteoporosis related bone fractures, Geisinger researchers found that streamlining the ordering process for osteoporosis bone density scans quadrupled the number of patients who received the exam.

19 Nov 2007

Blood clotting protein fibrin plays a role in rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's have issued the first study showing that a protein normally involved in blood clotting (fibrin), also plays an important role in the inflammatory response and development of rheumatoid arthritis.

19 Nov 2007

University of Delaware research to shed light on osteoporosis

Ten million people in the United States are estimated to already have bone diseases, and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, putting them at increased risk for osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

16 Nov 2007

Research confirms the importance of genetic factors in age-associated hearing loss

A new Brandeis University study of twins shows that genes play a significant role in the level of hearing loss that often appears in late middle age. The research, in the Journal of Gerontology Medical Sciences, examined genetic and environmental factors affecting hearing loss in the frequency range of speech recognition.

15 Nov 2007

Head-to-head comparison of Forteo and Fosamax

The osteoporosis drug Forteo works better than Fosamax to strengthen bones in arthritis patients with prednisone-induced osteoporosis, according to a new study from a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB.)

15 Nov 2007

Most seniors with diabetes have at least one other major chronic medical condition

As if diabetes weren't enough to handle, a new study shows that 92 percent of older people with the disease have at least one other major chronic medical condition - and that nearly half have three or more major diseases besides their diabetes.

14 Nov 2007

More than six out of ten people with diabetes are walking around in the wrong-sized shoes

More than six out of ten people with diabetes are walking around in the wrong-sized shoes, exposing themselves to serious foot problems that could lead to amputation, according to research in the November issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

14 Nov 2007

Placenta uses a cloaking device similar to that used by parasites

The placenta uses a cloaking device similar to that used by parasites to avoid detection by the mother's immune system. MRC funded scientists looking to develop a diagnostic test for pre-eclampsia, a major and potentially fatal cause of fetal and maternal illness, made the amazing discovery which could have far reaching implications.

13 Nov 2007