Arthritis News

A mosquito-borne virus that has spread to the Caribbean and Central and South America and has caused isolated infections in Florida often causes joint pain and swelling similar to that seen in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis also found that blood tests of patients with the Chikungunya virus and those … [Read more...]

Recent gut and urinary tract infections may curb the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, suggests research published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. One possible explanation could lie in the way in which these infections alter the types of bacteria resident in the gut (microbiome), say the researchers. They set out to look at the impact of different … [Read more...]

Researchers led by the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Genetics and Genomics at The University of Manchester have identified genetic variants that are associated with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) but not with psoriasis, in the largest study of PsA ever published. PsA is a common form of inflammatory form of arthritis causing pain and stiffness in joints and tendons that can … [Read more...]

Smoking impairs the response to biological drugs used to treat inflammatory arthritis affecting the lower back, known as axial spondyloarthritis, or AxSpA, for short, reveals research published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Smoking is known to heighten the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, and several drugs don't seem to work as well in smokers with … [Read more...]

Patients with rheumatic conditions are in need of symptom relief and some are turning to herbal cannabis as a treatment option. However, the effectiveness and safety of medical marijuana to treat symptoms of rheumatic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or fibromyalgia is not supported by medical evidence. A new article published in Arthritis Care & Research, a … [Read more...]

Using a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis, scientists have discovered that a form of cellular immunotherapy by intravenous administration of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells, or M-MDSCs, might be an effective treatment for the disease in humans. In a report published in the March 2015 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, researchers show that M-MDSCs are … [Read more...]

At the 93rd General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, researcher Sheila Arvikar, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA, will present a study titled "Inflammation in the Mouth and Joints in Rheumatoid Arthritis." The IADR General Session is being held in conjunction with the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Association for … [Read more...]

The first blood test for osteoarthritis could soon be developed, thanks to research by the University of Warwick. The research findings could potentially lead to patients being tested for osteoarthritis and diagnosed several years before the onset of physical symptoms. Conducted by the University's Medical School, the research identified a biomarker linked to both rheumatoid … [Read more...]

Using the latest genome sequencing techniques, a research team led by scientists from UC San Francisco (UCSF), Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas Children's Hospital has identified a new autoimmune syndrome characterized by a combination of severe lung disease and arthritis that currently has no therapy. The hereditary disorder, which appears in early childhood, had never … [Read more...]

A drug from a parasitic mushroom that lives on caterpillars could become an effective new painkiller for people with osteoarthritis within the next six years. Scientists at The University of Nottingham are exploring the painkilling potential of cordycepin, a compound found in cordyceps mushrooms, which are widely used in Chinese traditional medicine, thanks to funding from … [Read more...]

A mixture of over-the-counter medicine and experimental drugs could be just what the doctor ordered to provide more effective pain relief for arthritis sufferers. Currently, those with arthritis-related pain and mobility issues account for 44 million outpatient visits each year, according to the Arthritis Foundation. A new study, led by WVU psychology professor Steven … [Read more...]

The results of the tREACH trial presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) Press Conference showed that initial therapy with combination DMARDs significantly improves measures of disease activity and functional ability in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These findings suggest that an initial treatment regimen of … [Read more...]

Researchers from the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Epidemiology at The University of Manchester found that 40% of patients scored low on an adherence questionnaire at least once during their time in a recent study, indicating that they might not be taking their expensive biological therapies as regularly as prescribed. Their research is published online in the journal … [Read more...]

The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) Press Conference showed that a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can be predicted by low birth weight, having older siblings and hospitalisation for infection between the ages of 5-16 years. These data suggest that these factors play an important role in the … [Read more...]

The results of a large population study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) showed an increased risk of developing Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) among psoriasis patients exposed to physical trauma, particularly when the trauma involved bone and/or joints. "This is the first sizable population-based cohort study to determine the … [Read more...]

The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) Press Conference showed that ultrasound diagnosis of tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tendon sheath) was superior to clinical symptoms and signs in the prediction of early Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). This is the first study to show that ultrasound-defined tenosynovitis … [Read more...]

The results of a systematic review of published studies presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) Press Conference showed that biologics improve both absenteeism (not showing up for work) and presenteeism (being at work but not functioning fully) in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritides. Rheumatic conditions are the most … [Read more...]

The results of an interventional trial presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) showed that use of the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug hydroxychloroquine for 24 weeks did not diminish mild-moderate pain from primary hand osteoarthritis (OA). Furthermore, treatment did not improve overall physical, social and emotional … [Read more...]

It may seem counterintuitive, but exercise can be beneficial for people suffering from arthritis and other muscle and joint conditions. A new study at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) finds that older adults experienced less pain, reduced stiffness and less fatigue after participating in a hospital-based exercise program. "The study adds to the growing body of evidence … [Read more...]

German researchers found osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMTh) decreased postpartum low back pain by over 70 percent in women who had given birth at least three months before beginning treatment, according to a new study published in July issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. The eight week study, devised as a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, … [Read more...]

Here's more evidence that fish oil supplementation and antioxidants might be beneficial for at least some people facing Alzheimer's disease: A new report published in the July 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal describes the findings of a very small study in which people with mild clinical impairment, such as those in the very early stages of the disease, saw clearance of the … [Read more...]

At present, there is a lack of effective treatments that target the causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Scientists of the Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC) at Helmholtz Zentrum München are therefore investigating the molecular causes of COPD in order to intervene specifically. A recently published study in the journal Oncotarget is a contribution to … [Read more...]

A new treatment for osteoporosis has been found by researchers. Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified a new therapeutic approach that, while still preliminary, could promote the development of new bone-forming cells in patients suffering from bone loss. The study, published today in the journal Nature Communications, … [Read more...]

A study has inferred that Woman have a higher incidence of osteoporosis-related hip fractures and lower rate of mortality than men, according to a study in the June 2015 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). In addition, doctors don't always recognize or treat osteoporosis in men as often as they do in women. "Male and Female … [Read more...]

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system. People with MS can have fatigue, muscle pain or weakness and difficulty with motion. There is no cure, but researchers at one of the country’s top rehabilitation institutes are studying massage techniques to see if MS patients can find relief. Shavonne Thurman was in her twenties when … [Read more...]

Arthritis Research UK-funded scientists at The University of Manchester have identified a new way in which genotyping can be used to predict disease outcomes among sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis. New cohort studies have shown that certain genetic variants are associated with higher or lower risks of increased disease severity. The findings, published in the Journal of … [Read more...]