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Arthritis

Definition of Arthritis

Arthritis is the inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Study Rates New Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs Three new drugs -- rituximab, abatacept and tocilizumab -- mark a new era in rheumatoid arthritis treatment, according to the authors of a study published online Tuesday in The Lancet medical journal. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease that causes joint pain, stiffness and swelling. Rituximab and abatacept have been approved for treatment of patients with this painful illness. Tocilizumab is currently being tested in phase III clinical trials. Traditional treatments for rheumatoid arthritis include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoids, and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which include the widely used Methotrexate. But only DMARDs, and to a certain extent glucocorticoids, can slow or halt rheumatoid arthritis' inflammatory and destructive disease processes, according to background information in the study. Rituxamab targets the CD20 antigen in certain cells, leading to a Read the Article
Human Genome Yields Up More Secrets In what's being hailed as a milestone in human genetics research, an international consortium of scientists announced Wednesday new data that could revolutionize how scientists study health and disease. An exhaustive look at only 1 percent of the human genome produced two major findings: a vast amount of seemingly useless genes formerly called "junk DNA" may, in fact, be crucial to regulatory processes governing cells; and "epigenetic" factors outside of genes are probably big players behind many diseases. The results of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project, published in the June 14 issue of Nature, are "moving us into a deeper understanding of how life works and how, sometimes, things go wrong and disease occurs," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute, told reporters at a morning news conference. The completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 was an historic achievement, Read the Article
Health Tip: Are Joint Supplements For You? Glucosamine and chondroitin are substances that occur naturally in the body. Taken as supplements, they can help relieve arthritic joint pain. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that's believed to help cartilage formation and repair, the Arthritis Foundation says. And chondroitin sulfate can help give cartilage elasticity. But the supplements aren't recommended for everyone, the Arthritis Foundation says. Among those who should take great care or avoid them altogether: Children, pregnant women, and women who may become pregnant. Diabetics, who should be careful when taking these supplements, as the amino sugars can cause blood glucose levels to rise. People who are taking blood-thinning medications, since these substances can trigger blood thinning. People who are allergic to shellfish, from which these supplements often are extracted. Read the Article
Vitamin A Compound Could Fight Rheumatoid Arthritis Research in mice suggests that a vitamin A derivative, retinoic acid, may fight autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as colitis or rheumatoid arthritis, U.S. scientists say. A team at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology in California found that manipulating the amount of retinoic acid (a substance derived when vitamin A is broken down in the body) in the mice affected levels of pro-inflammatory T-cells. These T-cells are a type of white blood cell that plays a role in several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. "We found that you can control inflammation in a living animal with retinoic acid or you can treat cells with retinoic acid in a test tube and transfer them to the organism to suppress inflammation," research leader Hilde Cheroutre said in a prepared statement. The findings were published in the June 14 online issue of Science. This is just the first step, the scientists say. However, if further research sho Read the Article
Bengay Death Highlights OTC Dangers The bizarre death of a New York City high school track star from a muscle pain cream overdose is raising a red flag once again on the hazards of overusing common over-the-counter medications, experts say. The New York City medical examiner's office ruled last week that 17-year-old cross-country runner Arielle Newman died from an accidental overdose of methyl salicylate, the wintergreen-scented ingredient found in popular sports balms. To help ease exercise-related discomfort, the Staten Island teenager reportedly had been putting Bengay on her legs between running meets, while also using adhesive pads with methyl salicylate, an aspirin-like anti-inflammatory, and a third product, according to the Associated Press. "There were multiple products, used to great excess," Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the NYC medical examiner's office, told the AP. All of the products can be found as nonprescription items on drug store shelves. But over-th Read the Article
Health Highlights: June 19, 2007 U.S. Parents Concerned About Media Violence, Sex: Survey U.S. Judge Upholds Blood Thinner's Patent Extending Maternity Leave Increases Breastfeeding Duration Train Sets Latest Chinese-Made Toys to be Recalled in U.S. Vaccine for Lung Infection in CF Patients Shows Promise Foie Gras Linked to Dangerous Disease Process Read the Article
Health Highlights: June 20, 2007 Bush Vetoes Stem Cell Legislation Most Sunscreens Fail Safety Test: Report Tyson Drops Antibiotics in Fresh Chicken NCI Cancels Major Breast Cancer Study Breastfeeding Decline Linked Annually to 160,000 Deaths U.S. Parents Concerned About Media Violence, Sex: Survey Read the Article
Lupus Treatment Linked to Male Fertility Problems Sperm abnormalities in men with lupus may be linked to intravenous treatment with the immunosuppressant cyclophosphamide (IV CYC), according to Brazilian researchers. In a new study, published in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, researchers studied 25 men with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 35 healthy controls. SLE is an autoimmune disease that mainly affects women in their reproductive years but can also affect men. There have been concerns about the future fertility of men with SLE, but, until now, no studies have been conducted on testes function and sperm abnormalities in men with SLE. The researchers examined the genitalia and analyzed the semen of all of the participants. They found that the men with SLE had lower testicular volume, a lower sperm count, lower sperm motility, lower sperm volume and a lower percentage of normally formed sperm, compared with their healthy counterparts. Furthermore, the SLE patient Read the Article
Glucosamine Trials Show Little Benefit Against Arthritis Although millions of arthritis sufferers buy glucosamine supplements to ease their joint pain, there's still no convincing proof the product works, according to a major new analysis. In fact, the results of 15 trials of over-the-counter glucosamine vary so widely that industry bias may be a factor influencing the more positive outcomes, concludes a team writing in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. "There's a big difference between trials, much more than you would expect by chance," explained lead investigator Dr. Steven Vlad, a fellow in rheumatology at Boston University Medical Center. But an editorialist in the journal refutes those claims. Dr. Jean-Yves Reginster, of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center for Public Health Aspects of Rheumatic Disease, in Liege, Belgium, counters that industry trials are typically more stringent than independent academic research. He also believes that Vlad's group included trials Read the Article
Men Put Their Health on the Back Burner Men report skipping health screenings and avoiding doctor's visits in a new survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The survey examined the health behaviors of 2,282 adults across the nation, including 1,111 men. The surveyors found that more than half of the men had not seen their primary-care physician for a physical exam in the last year, and more than a quarter reported waiting "as long as possible" before seeking medical help for sickness, pain or health concerns. Furthermore, 18 percent of the men said their have never received the recommended screening for colon cancer. Despite this, most of the men -- 79 percent -- described their health as "excellent," "very good" or "good." While the men may think they are in good health, the results of the survey paint a different picture. Forty-two percent of the men surveyed have been diagnosed with at least one of the following chronic conditions: high blood pressur Read the Article
Naturopathy an Option for Some Kids About one in six naturopathic physicians include pediatric patients in their practice in the state of Washington, new research finds. The study, which is published in the July issue of Pediatrics, also found that almost 30 percent of children seen by a naturopathic doctor visit them for overall health supervision, and almost 20 percent received their immunizations from a naturopathic doctor. "We were looking to see how many naturopathic physicians treat children on a regular basis and found only about 15 percent do. The conditions seen by naturopathic doctors are similar to what pediatricians see," said study author Wendy Weber, a naturopathic doctor and a research associate professor at the School of Naturopathic Read the Article
Inflammatory Factor Could Spur Male Infertility A substance present in the body as a result of inflammation may also help cause male infertility, new research suggests. A team at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y., identified unusual levels of a substance called "macrophage migration inhibitory factor" (MIF) in semen samples obtained from infertile men. Reporting in the current issue of Molecular Medicine, the researchers theorize that identification of this factor could lead to tests for infertility as well as the development of a male contraceptive. Inflammation occurs when the body endures infections such as sepsis (blood infection), autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The factor is present in high levels during those conditions and is linked in some cases to tissue damage. The researchers analyzed semen from 27 fertile men and 68 infertile men after several days of sexual abstinence Read the Article
Health Highlights: July 9, 2007 Study to Examine Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Eye Disease in Preemies Switzerland Approves New Kind of Brain Cancer Treatment Indonesia Confirms 81st Bird Flu Death FDA Approves Skin Patch for Alzheimer's Patients China Suspends Sale of Leukemia Drug Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay: Study to Examine Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Eye Disease in Preemies U.S. researchers are about to begin a study to examine whether omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent a disease that causes eye damage in premature babies. The condition, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), affects about 16,000 infants in the United States each year and blinds hundreds, the Associated Press reported. This study will investigate whether adding omega-3 fatty acids to premature babies' intravenous feedings can decrease the risk of ROP-related eye damage. The research is being led by Dr. Lois Smith, an ophthalmologist at Children's Hospital Boston. Read the Article
Selenium Supplements Boost Type 2 Diabetes Risk Selenium supplements appear to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The chances of developing the blood sugar disease was higher in people who had high blood selenium levels, according to the report in the July 10 online edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine. "The hypothesis was that, because of its antioxidant properties, selenium could be beneficial in diabetes prevention," explained lead researcher Dr. Saverio Stranges, from the Warwick Medical School, in Coventry, U.K. "Actually, long-term selenium supplementation did not have any benefits in diabetes prevention and actually increased the risk for this disease." Selenium is a mineral found in soil and foods. Selenium is used by the body to aid in metabolism. Selenium supplements have been widely promoted for conditions such as cold sores, shingles, arthritis and multiple sclerosis. These supplements are also sold to prevent aging, enhance fertility, prevent can Read the Article
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