Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Solid evidence that best treatment for multiple sclerosis is pregnancy

For years, doctors have suggested the best treatment for multiple sclerosis is pregnancy. Now, an Oregon study is delivering solid evidence to support the theory.

27 Aug 2004

Children who take steroid drugs for nephrotic syndrome do not suffer bone loss

Childhood nephrotic syndrome, which affects 3 out of 100,000 children, is the most common chronic kidney disease in children. Although it does not impair kidney function, it weakens the body's ability to remove water and salt from the blood, and causes swelling in the belly, legs, and around the eyes.

25 Aug 2004

Novel disease mechanism underlying rheumatoid arthritis

Investigators at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) have identified a novel disease mechanism underlying rheumatoid arthritis that may open the door to new therapies for this and other debilitating autoimmune disorders.

23 Aug 2004

COX2 inhibitor lumiracoxib could be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis

The use of non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is widespread to reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis; however the sideeffects of these drugs can be severe, sometimes leading to gastro-intestinal ulcer complications which account for around 7000 US and 1000 UK deaths each year.

21 Aug 2004

Researchers find important gene for lupus

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified, for the first time, a gene variation associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a potentially fatal disease which causes the body's defence system to attack itself.

18 Aug 2004

Two more drugs added to Medicare demonstration program

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced it is adding two more drugs to the list of drugs covered under a Medicare demonstration program providing substantial savings to beneficiaries with serious diseases, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

17 Aug 2004

Good health goes beyond diet, exercise and stress

While pleasurable experiences may lift your spirits, the ones that leave you with a sense of purpose and meaningful relationships may do even more: protect the body against ill health.

15 Aug 2004

Osteoarthritis twice as likely if parents suffer the condition

New research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, shows that children whose parents have osteoarthritis of the knee are twice as likely to develop the condition themselves. This research suggests that genetic make-up plays a role in osteoarthritis development.

12 Aug 2004

Never mind the gills here's the oyster gonads

The researchers studied 8 Sydney rock oysters, concentrating on the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the gills, muscles and gonads.

11 Aug 2004

Bionomics BNO69 angiogenesis gene discovery published

Bionomics has announced that research conducted by Bionomics and its collaborators at the Hanson Centre of the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science ("IMVS") in Adelaide, Australia, relating to Bionomics' proprietary angiogenesis drug target BNO69, has been published in the high ranking scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS).

10 Aug 2004

Study to determine how people with rheumatoid arthritis evaluate improvements in disease symptoms

The study will examine how much of an improvement in pain, stiffness, function and other symptoms is needed before patients consider the change important.

7 Aug 2004

A new marker for osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, crippling age-related disease characterized by the gradual destruction of cartilage cushioning the joints.

5 Aug 2004

Rheumatoid arthritis and early indicators of disease

A chronic autoimmune disease marked by severe inflammation and joint, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major cause of pain and disability.

5 Aug 2004

New clinical study to determine how people with rheumatoid arthritis evaluate improvements in disease symptoms

A new clinical study to determine how people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) evaluate improvements in disease symptoms will be carried out by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health.

5 Aug 2004

New neck pain study

Workers in Bristol who suffer from neck pain are set to benefit from a new investigation by a team of researchers in the city.

5 Aug 2004

Researchers study whether people’s genetic makeup could make them more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee and hip

Researchers at The University of Nottingham are studying whether people’s genetic makeup could make them more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee and hip — the most common medical condition to affect the joints.

3 Aug 2004

Joint inflammation

Members of the baby boomer generation are beginning to reach their 50s and 60s and seniors are living longer than ever, causing a large influx of older men and women in our society.

2 Aug 2004

European recommended approval of Remicade for treatment of psoriatic arthritis

Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products has issued a positive opinion recommending approval of expanded labeling for REMICADE(R) (infliximab), in combination with methotrexate, for treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in patients who have responded inadequately to disease modifying anti- rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

2 Aug 2004

Using topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis is only beneficial for the first two weeks

Using topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis is only beneficial for the first two weeks, finds a study available on bmj.com today.

29 Jul 2004

Molecular pathway in the brain may explain why some patients suffering from inflammatory diseases develop depression

Feeling sick can be "all in the head" for people with inflammatory disorders or for those receiving immunotherapy, say Robert Dantzer and Keith Kelley, professors in the department of animal sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

29 Jul 2004