Latest rheumatism Stories

Connie K. Ho for RedOrbit.com An advisory panel recommends that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consider approving Pfizer’s pill to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The pill, tofacitinib, would be sold to patients who don’t respond to traditional rheumatoid arthritis treatments. On May 9, the panel of outside experts voted 8-2 to recommend the drug for approval. However, the agency doesn’t necessarily need to follow the panel’s advice. Tofacitinib is one of three other...

Antibodies associated with severe lung disease and decreased survival to blame African Americans have more severe complications from systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma, than Caucasians. Findings published today in, Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), show that compared with Caucasians, African-American patients were more likely to have antibodies that increased frequency and severity of pulmonary fibrosis, which is associated with...

High-dose steroids found to significantly increase infection risk Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have higher rates of hospitalized bacterial infection than children without JIA according to an observational study appearing in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The findings show that the risk of infection among JIA patients was significantly increased with use of high-dose...

Anxiety more common than depression among people with arthritis Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that one-third of U.S. adults with arthritis, 45 years and older, report having anxiety or depression. According to findings that appear today in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), anxiety is nearly twice as common as depression among people with arthritis,...

MISSION VIEJO, Calif., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifescript.com, a women's health and wellness website headquartered in Mission Viejo, Calif., has launched a new Rheumatoid Arthritis Health Center designed to help women treat and reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects 1%-3% of women in the United States, is on the rise. And women are three times as likely to get RA as men, according to the...

High Out-of-Pocket Costs a Barrier to Health ATLANTA, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cost-sharing practices that limit access to vital medications for people with serious health conditions may soon be alleviated for many patients thanks to a bill just introduced in Congress. The bi-partisan legislation, supported by the American College of Rheumatology, the Arthritis Foundation and other medical and patient groups, has been introduced by Rep. David B. McKinley (R-WV) and...

Patient biopsies reveal potential new target for therapy A genetic pathway previously known for its role in embryonic development and cancer has been identified as a target for systemic sclerosis, or scleroderma, therapy. The finding, discovered by a cross-disciplinary team led by John Varga, MD, John and Nancy Hughes Distinguished Professor of Rheumatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, was recently published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. "We...

The American College of Rheumatology has released the first classification criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica – aimed at helping physicians identify patients with this condition, which occurs in persons aged 50 years or older who have recent onset of pain in the shoulders, neck and hips along with other inflammatory symptoms not explained by an alternate diagnosis. Polymyalgia rheumatica is a relatively common cause of widespread aching and stiffness in older adults. It can be difficult...

Increase not necessarily linked to arthritis treatments, including TNF inhibitors New research reports that incident malignancy among children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is four times higher than in those without the disease. Findings now available in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), suggest JIA treatment, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, does not necessarily explain the...

People living in poor neighborhoods have a higher rate and risk of arthritis - one of the most common causes of disability in the developed world. Results revealed that people who live in socially disadvantaged areas were 42 per cent more at risk of getting arthritis than people in more affluent areas. The study revealed more than 30 per cent of people living in socially disadvantaged areas reported having arthritis, as opposed to 18.5 per cent in the more affluent areas. Led by the...