Rheumatic Diseases

Lumbar disc degeneration more likely in overweight and obese adults

One of the largest studies to investigate lumbar spine disc degeneration found that adults who are overweight or obese were significantly more likely to…    

2 in 5 adults with rheumatoid arthritis are physically inactive

A new study, funded by a grant from the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), found that two in five…    

Behavioral therapy may ease kids’ fibromyalgia

Teaching teens coping skills to deal with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia may provide them some relief, a small study suggests.

When…    

Young Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis at More Risk for Broken Bones

Women under 50 with rheumatoid arthritis are at greater risk of breaking bones than women without the condition, according to a Mayo Clinic study…    

Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Have Low Expectations After Knee Replacement Surgery

Compared with osteoarthritis patients, individuals with rheumatoid arthritis who undergo total knee replacement surgery have lower expectations about their postsurgical outcomes, according to a…    

Statin therapy fails to slow progression of atherosclerosis in pediatric lupus patients

Atorvastatin therapy was found to be ineffective in reducing atherosclerosis progression in children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Results of the Atherosclerosis…    

More African-Americans burdened by osteoarthritis in multiple large joints

New research suggests African Americans have a higher burden of multiple, large-joint osteoarthritis (OA), and may not be recognized based on the current definition…    

New ‘bouncer’ molecule halts rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered why the immune cells of people with rheumatoid arthritis become hyperactive and attack the…    

Gut bacteria picky about what we eat: study

Gut bacteria—colonies of bacteria that live in the human digestive tract—appear to have fairly picky dining habits, with one type preferring high-fat, fast-food fare,…    

Achieving realistic physical activity goals benefits RA patients

Researchers from The Netherlands report that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have higher levels of self-efficacy for physical activity are more likely to…    

Toronto researchers first to discover new genetic clue in the development of rheumatoid arthritis

Scientists at Mount Sinai Hospital, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Toronto, University Health Network and McGill University have obtained significant new…    

Gout prevalence swells in US over last 2 decades

A new study shows the prevalence of gout in the U.S. has risen over the last twenty years and now affects 8.3 million (4%)…    

Male smokers less likely to need joint replacement surgery of hip or knee

Surprising results from a new study revealed that men who smoke had less risk of undergoing total joint replacement surgery than those who never…    

The use of placebo in rheumatoid arthritis clinical trials may negatively impact patients

The results of this study, conducted in Germany, re-open the debate on whether it is ethical to conduct placebo-controlled studies where patients in the…    

Undertreatment of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients following a heart attack

Results of a study, involving 98,454 patients demonstrated that at 30 days following their first heart attack, RA patients were approximately 20% less likely…    

Studies show Vectra(TM) DA can track early response to rheumatoid arthritis therapy

Crescendo Bioscience™ today announced data indicating that Vectra™ DA, a first-in-class multi-biomarker blood test used to assess rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity, provides physicians…    

Sildenafil reduces Raynaud’s frequency in patients with systemic sclerosis

Researchers in Europe reported that treatment with modified-release sildenafil significantly reduced the frequency of attacks of Raynaud’s phenomenon in patients with limited cutaneous systemic…    

Rheumatoid arthritis researchers redefine remission

The American College of Rheumatology today announced the release of two new provisional definitions of rheumatoid arthritis remission, which are to be applied to…    

Researchers uncover link to increased atherosclerosis risk in lupus patients

Researchers in China have demonstrated interferon-alpha (IFN-a) is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). For the first…    

Researchers Determine Lifetime Risk of Adult Rheumatoid Arthritis

Mayo Clinic researchers have determined the lifetime risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis and six other autoimmune rheumatic diseases for both men and women. The…    

This new year, how motivated are you?

Personal motivation may be the biggest factor in determining the length of time it takes for a patient to return to work following a…    

Biological Joints Could Replace Artificial Joints Soon

Artificial joint replacements can drastically change a patient’s quality of life. Painful, arthritic knees, shoulders and hips can be replaced with state-of-the-art metal or…    

Current smokers with early rheumatoid arthritis less responsive to TNF inhibitors, methotrexate

Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are current smokers were less likely to achieve good response to methotrexate (MTX) and tumor necrosis factor…    

Early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis crucial to positive outcomes for patients

Positive outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are closely linked to early diagnosis and treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). A study by researchers in…    

Cigarette smoking increases rheumatoid arthritis risk in African-Americans

A new study determined that African Americans who smoke cigarettes have a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA risk is more pronounced…