Important New Rheumatology Resource Unveiled
A comprehensive account of the most important advances in rheumatology research from the past decade has been published in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research and Therapy (AR&T). This freely available collection of 38 articles written by an internationally recognized group of experts spanning more than 400 pages is an essential educational tool which provides clinicians and researchers with a detailed overview of the current status of basic, translational and clinical research in rheumatology. Rheumatic diseases affect the body's joints, muscles, skin and a variety of internal organs and connective tissues. Current estimates indicate that some 43 million Americans have been diagnosed to date as well as even greater numbers worldwide.
Special Sessions Announced For World Congress On Osteoporosis 2010 - IOF WCO - ECCEO10
Online abstract submission opens Researchers are invited to contribute their abstracts to the World Congress on Osteoporosis 2010 (IOF WCO - ECCEO10), the largest global meeting devoted to all aspects of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis research and patient care. The Congress will be held in Florence, Italy from May 5-8, 2010. Abstracts can now be submitted online at http://www.iofwco-ecceo10.org The submission deadline is February 4, 2010. IOF and ESCEO are pleased to announce that seven special sessions and mini-symposia will enhance the extensive scientific programme that includes 12 Plenary and 20 Meet-the-Expert sessions: VPHOP Symposium: Assessing Fracture Risk: The Future for Designing New Therapies Chairs: R.
What Is Cervical Spondylosis? What Causes Cervical Spondylosis?
Cervical spondylosis is a general term for age-related wear and tear affecting the joints in the neck. It is also known as cervical osteoarthritis and degenerative osteoarthritis. This condition usually appears in men and women older than 40 and progresses with age. Men usually develop it at an earlier age than women do. It can lead to episodes of stiffness and neck pain. With age, the bones and cartilage that make up the backbone and neck gradually deteriorate. Sometimes there is formation of irregular bony outgrowths called bone spurs. These changes are characteristic of cervical spondylosis. Even so, many people with signs of cervical spondylosis on X-rays manage to escape the associated symptoms, which include pain, stiffness and muscle spasms.
Higher Risk Of Knee Arthritis Linked To Too Much Exercise
A new study by radiologists found that middle-aged men and women who do lots of exercise, and particularly high impact activities like running and jumping, may be unknowingly causing damage to their knees and putting themselves at greater risk of developing osteoarthritis. By implication, low impact activities like swimming and cycling may protect damaged and healthy joints they said, although further research is needed to confirm this. The study was the work of Christoph Stehling and colleagues, and is being presented Monday at the 95th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), taking place from Nov 29 to Dec 4, in Chicago.
Searching For The Best Biologics For Rheumatoid Arthritis
More studies that directly compare the effectiveness of different biologic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are needed, say Cochrane Researchers. The researchers reviewed all previous Cochrane Systematic Reviews assessing the effectiveness of biologic disease-modifying drugs for treatment of RA and found that although all were very effective, there was little data on direct comparisons between the drugs that could help doctors decide which to prescribe. RA is an autoimmune disease that affects up to 1 in 100 people in Western countries. Patients experience chronic pain and inflammation as a result of the body's own immune system attacking the lining of the joints.
Insufficient Evidence To Recommend TENS For Osteoarthritis
Despite twenty years of research on the use of electrostimulation techniques (TENS) for treatment of osteoarthritis in the knee, researchers still cannot say whether it reduces pain or physical disability. This is the conclusion of a Cochrane Systematic Review of electrostimulation trials in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of pain and physical disability in older people. In one widely used form of treatment for the disease, called transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS), an electrical current is applied to the skin at the joint to stimulate the nerves and try to relieve pain. The authors reviewed data from 18 small trials that together included 813 patients.
New Biologic Drug Is Effective Against Rheumatoid Arthritis
Abatacept, a member of a new class of drug that targets immune cells to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is effective against RA, according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. The review examines recent trials to assess safety and efficacy of the drug. RA is an autoimmune disease affecting up to 1 in 100 people in Western countries. RA patients experience chronic pain and inflammation as a result of the body's own immune system attacking the lining of the joints. Abatacept is a new "biologic" drug that works by blocking the actions of the immune cells, called T cells, which cause joint inflammation. The review combined data from seven trials including 2, 908 patients, whose symptoms were assessed after one year of taking the drug or a placebo.
Exercise Programs Recommended As Standard For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Exercise programs designed to improve strength and stamina are safe and effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a new Cochrane Systematic Review. The researchers reviewed dynamic exercise program trials in RA patients and found moderate benefits associated with this type of treatment. "Based on the evidence in this study, we would recommend aerobic capacity training combined with muscle strength training as routine practice for RA patients, " said lead researcher Emalie Hurkmans of the Leiden University Medical Center in Leiden, Netherlands. "But we need more research to establish the recommended length and type of exercise programs, whether patients need to be supervised and if these programs are cost effective.
46 Millon Patients With Rheumatic Diseases Represented At White House
The issues affecting people with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases-and those who treat them-were represented yesterday at a White House event hosted by President Barack Obama. Peter Embi, MD joined over 100 physicians from around the country in the White House Rose Garden for President Barack Obama's health care reform summit. "I was honored to have this opportunity, " Dr. Embi says. "At a time when health care reform is so close to becoming a reality, I feel privileged to participate in an event that impacts this important issue. Our current health care system just isn't working for many patients. Far too many are uninsured or underinsured and that results in people frequently going without adequate health care.
Meniscus Transplant Can Ease Suffering Of Painful Knee
A meniscus transplant, a rarely performed arthroscopic procedure, might help delay the onset of arthritis and relieve knee pain for young, active people. "This can be a great procedure for someone under the age of 50 who has pain after a significant meniscal injury or multiple previous meniscus surgeries and is too young and active for a knee replacement, " said Dr. Patrick McCulloch, an orthopedic surgeon with the Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston. "In some cases, the meniscus has been damaged so severely that it has to be removed. This surgery works for people who have no functioning meniscus and have limited damage to the cartilage surfaces of the joint.