Medical Xpress: Arthritis & Rheumatism News http://medicalxpress.com/arthritis-rheumatism-news/ en-us PhysOrg Team Medical Xpress provides the latest research news on Arthritis & Rheumatism, Ultrasound findings can improve classification of RA (HealthDay)—Compared to clinical diagnosis of synovitis, ultrasound-detected synovitis provides either improved sensitivity or specificity when used with the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) criteria for identifying patients with a disease requiring methotrexate (MTX) treatment, according to research published in the April issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-ultrasound-classification-ra.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-05-15T20:30:01-07:00 Strong genetic component of fibromyalgia suggested (HealthDay)—A genome-wide linkage scan has identified the chromosome 17p11.2-q11.2 region as the susceptibility locus for fibromyalgia, according to research published in the April issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-strong-genetic-component-fibromyalgia.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-05-11T03:30:02-07:00 Discovery shows fat triggers rheumatoid arthritis Scientists have discovered that fat cells in the knee secrete a protein linked to arthritis, a finding that paves the way for new gene therapies that could offer relief and mobility to millions worldwide. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-discovery-fat-triggers-rheumatoid-arthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-05-08T08:42:27-07:00 Researchers finds Irish Lupus patients likely to benefit from new treatment Researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have discovered that a new treatment for the inflammatory condition, Systemic Lupus Erythmstosus (SLE) could potentially benefit Irish patients who suffer from the condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-irish-lupus-patients-benefit-treatment.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-05-07T09:07:52-07:00 'Oil for the joints' offers hope for osteoarthritis sufferers A team of researchers led by a Boston University Biomedical Engineer has developed a new joint lubricant that could bring longer lasting relief to millions of osteoarthritis sufferers. The new synthetic polymer supplements synovial fluid, the natural lubricant in joints, and works better than comparable treatments currently available. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-oil-joints-osteoarthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-05-02T16:42:33-07:00 Regular, moderate exercise does not worsen pain in people with fibromyalgia For many people who have fibromyalgia, even the thought of exercising is painful. Yet a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center shows that exercise does not worsen the pain associated with the disorder and may even lessen it over time. The findings are published in the current online issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-regular-moderate-worsen-pain-people.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-05-02T13:38:20-07:00 Foul-smelling gas shows health benefits in reducing joint swelling A gas associated with the smell of rotten eggs has proven to effectively reduce joint swelling, in research which could lead to advances in the treatment of arthritis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-foul-smelling-gas-health-benefits-joint.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-29T12:51:29-07:00 Can stem cells help those with arthritis? Stems cells taken from just a few grams of body fat are a promising weapon against the crippling effects of osteoarthritis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-stem-cells-arthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-28T18:50:01-07:00 Repairing articular cartilage defects with an injectable gel engineered with gene modified BMSCs Researchers at Micro Orthopaedics, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, led by Dr. Ai-xi Yu, have suggested that articular cartilage defects can be repaired by a novel thermo-sensitive injectable hydrogel engineered with gene modified bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs). The chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrogel containing hTGFβ-1 gene modified BMSCs was injected into rabbits with defective articular cartilage. Sixteen weeks later the defected cartilage regenerated and was proven to be hyaline cartilage. This work can be found in the January 2013 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-articular-cartilage-defects-gel-gene.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-23T14:44:40-07:00 Severe cutaneous adverse rxns up in allopurinol initiators (HealthDay)—Allopurinol initiators have an almost 10-fold increased risk of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) compared with nonusers, according to a study published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-severe-cutaneous-adverse-rxns-allopurinol.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-23T13:30:02-07:00 Discovery of new genes will help childhood arthritis treatment (Medical Xpress)—Scientists from The University of Manchester have identified 14 new genes which could have important consequences for future treatments of childhood arthritis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-discovery-genes-childhood-arthritis-treatment.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-22T08:05:34-07:00 Even a few cigarettes a day increases risk of rheumatoid arthritis Number of cigarettes smoked a day and the number of years a person has smoked both increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), finds research in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy. The risk decreases after giving up smoking but, compared to people who have never smoked, this risk is still elevated 15 years after giving up. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-cigarettes-day-rheumatoid-arthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-21T20:00:01-07:00 Lupus ups risk of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (HealthDay)—Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have an increased risk of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and increased mortality after SAH, according to a study published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-lupus-ups-spontaneous-subarachnoid-hemorrhage.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-19T15:16:50-07:00 Researcher provides insight into osteoarthritis A researcher at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research has discovered additional mechanical properties of articular cartilage, a protective cartilage on the ends of bones that wears down over time, resulting in the development of osteoarthritis. The findings are published in the April issue of PLOS ONE. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-insight-osteoarthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-19T13:08:44-07:00 Knee bracing can significantly reduce pain of kneecap osteoarthritis, research finds (Medical Xpress)—Wearing a knee brace has been shown to "significantly improve the pain and symptoms" of a type of osteoarthritis affecting the kneecap, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-knee-bracing-significantly-pain-kneecap.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-19T09:20:02-07:00 Ultrasound model IDs residual joint inflammation in RA (HealthDay)—A model including ultrasound (US) assessment of the wrist, metacarpophalangeal (MCP), ankle, and metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints is highly sensitive for detecting B-mode and Doppler joint inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-ultrasound-ids-residual-joint-inflammation.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-18T14:00:13-07:00 In the earliest stages of arthritis, high-impact exercise may worsen cartilage damage, study finds Osteoarthritis, which affects at least 20 percent of adults in the United States, leads to deterioration of cartilage, the rubbery tissue that prevents bones from rubbing together. By studying the molecular properties of cartilage, MIT engineers have now discovered how the earliest stages of arthritis make the tissue more susceptible to damage from physical activities such as running or jumping. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-earliest-stages-arthritis-high-impact-worsen.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-17T15:02:16-07:00 Medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis may affect abortion rate in women A new study published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, Arthritis Care & Research, reveals that women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were on methotrexate (MTX), a drug commonly used to reduce inflammation caused by RA, had lower rates of induced abortions compared to women with RA who were not exposed to the medication. Findings indicate that women with RA exposed to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs may have increased abortion rates compared to unexposed women. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-medications-rheumatoid-arthritis-affect-abortion.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-16T00:00:01-07:00 One in three people with rheumatoid arthritis at high risk of repeated falls (Medical Xpress)—One in three people with rheumatoid arthritis, regardless of their age, will fall once or more times a year, according to a new University of Manchester study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-people-rheumatoid-arthritis-high-falls.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-11T07:26:33-07:00 'Mobility shoes' take a load off for knee osteoarthritis sufferers New research suggests that patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who wear flat, flexible footwear (mobility shoes) had significant reduction in knee loading—the force placed upon the joint during daily activities. Results published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), show that long term use of the mobility shoes helped OA patients adapt their gait, or how they walk, which improved knee loading, even when the mobility shoes were no longer worn. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-mobility-knee-osteoarthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-10T00:00:01-07:00 Not all patients benefit equally from hip or knee replacement, study finds Only half of people with arthritis who had a hip or knee replacement reported a significant improvement in pain and mobility after surgery, according to a new study led by Women's College Hospital and the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (ICES). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-patients-benefit-equally-hip-knee.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-04T16:32:06-07:00 Alkaptonuria: New hope for treatment of rare genetic disease (Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that a drug treatment administered at the earliest signs of a rare genetic disease could prevent the condition from developing in later life. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-alkaptonuria-treatment-rare-genetic-disease.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-04T06:54:49-07:00 Low testosterone levels may herald rheumatoid arthritis in men Low testosterone levels may herald the subsequent development of rheumatoid arthritis in men, suggests research published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-testosterone-herald-rheumatoid-arthritis-men.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-04-03T18:30:01-07:00 Team discovers new strategy to effectively treat, prevent osteoarthritis Think new discoveries are the bee's knees? This one is even better—this research out of Rhode Island Hospital is the mice's knees. Researchers have found that adding lubricin, a protein that our bodies naturally produce, to the fluid in our joints may reduce the risk of or even prevent osteoarthritis (OA). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-team-strategy-effectively-osteoarthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-03-25T15:00:22-07:00 Study looks at longevity of total knee replacements in younger patients with juvenile arthritis When you think of knee replacement surgery, you generally envision an older adult with painful arthritis. But the procedure is also used for younger patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) whose joints have been severely damaged by the disease. Because the surgery in younger patients is relatively rare, little data exist on the longevity of knee replacements in JIA patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-longevity-total-knee-younger-patients.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-03-20T10:08:22-07:00 Stem cell injections to relieve arthritis pain (Medical Xpress)—Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center is now one of a small number of clinics in the country to offer a cutting edge stem cell treatment for Osteoarthritis (OA). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-stem-cell-relieve-arthritis-pain.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-03-20T07:30:01-07:00 Obesity, aging genes may play role in arthritis (Medical Xpress)—Studying gene activity in tissue removed from injured knees, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that genes related to obesity and aging may contribute to the development of osteoarthritis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-obesity-aging-genes-role-arthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-03-20T06:42:41-07:00 Research find links between lifestyle and developing rheumatoid arthritis Researchers in Manchester have found a link between several lifestyle factors and pre-existing conditions, including smoking cigarettes and diabetes, and an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-links-lifestyle-rheumatoid-arthritis.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-03-18T10:39:57-07:00 Rheumatoid arthritis can be costly (HealthDay)—Workers with rheumatoid arthritis have higher health care and other costs for U.S. employers than workers without the condition, a new study finds. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-rheumatoid-arthritis-costly.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-03-15T19:00:01-07:00 Alcohol, fibromyalgia, and quality of life Low and moderate drinkers of alcohol reported lower severity of symptoms of fibromyalgia than teetotallers, finds a study in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy. Too much alcohol reversed this effect. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-alcohol-fibromyalgia-quality-life.html Arthritis & Rheumatism 2013-03-14T19:00:01-07:00