Two drugs used for decades to treat inflammatory forms of arthritis may also benefit some people with hand osteoarthritis (OA). That’s according to two new studies presented at the 2019 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) annual meeting in early November in Atlanta.
The Arthritis Foundation is partnering globally with other osteoarthritis (OA)-related patient advocacy organizations to develop consistent treatment management messaging for all health care providers (HCPs) who interact with OA patients. Currently, an OA patient may see different types of HCPs, depending on the stage of their disease and their location. It’s important that primary care doctors become familiar with all OA treatment options so they can work with patients to develop the best care plans.Continue readingProviding a Consistent Message for OA Disease Management
A team of researchers from the United States and Finland has found that rates ofknee osteoarthritis (OA)are higher now than in the past – probably not for the reasons you think.
In a study published in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers report that knee OA is more than twice as common today, in the post-industrial era, as it was at any time before, going back to prehistoric days. People in the 21st century are also more likely to have arthritis in both knees than were people in the past.
Continue readingKnee OA More Common Now Than at Any Time in the Last 6,000 Years
About 40 percent of adults in the United States are likely to develop osteoarthritis (OA) in at least one hand by age 85, and some people are more at risk than others, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Their findings were published recently in the journalArthritis & Rheumatology.
Continue readingHand OA Risk Higher for Women, Caucasians, Overweight People
Losing excess weight may help preserve knee cartilage in people who have or are at risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), whose findings were recently published online in the journalRadiology. Knee cartilage is the rubbery, slick cap that covers the ends of the upper (femur) and lower (tibia) leg bones that make up the knee joint.
Their study also found that shedding extra pounds protected the menisci, the crescent-shaped cartilage pads that cushion the knee joint. Lead author Alexandra Gersing, MD, a postdoctoral scholar at UCSF School of Medicine, says this is especially important because atorn or damaged meniscuscan speed up the degeneration of the knee joint overall.
Continue readingStudy Confirms That Losing Weight May Save Your Knees
Recent research shows that statins — the drugs people take to lower their cholesterol — may also lower their chances of gettingosteoarthritisor delay its progression.
Traditionally, treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) has been limited to relieving symptoms and replacing joints with prostheses once they become irreparably damaged. However, researchers are actively looking for treatments that will not only ease OA’s pain and stiffness, but will slow, stop – or even prevent – the progression of joint damage. Statins may be one possible answer.
Several studies have found that all other things being equal (age, weight, comorbid conditions, for example) people taking statins either had a lower prevalence of OA or had slower-progressing OA than those who didn’t take the drugs.
Continue readingStopping Osteoarthritis with Statins?
Can Vitamin D help prevent the onset ofosteoarthritis (OA)还是已经患有骨性关节炎的慢性关节损伤?虽然研究结果有好有坏，但总的来说，他们认为维生素D可能对OA有保护作用。
维生素D促进身体吸收钙，促进骨骼生长和修复。由于骨关节炎含有骨生长成分，研究人员一直在研究维生素D在骨关节炎发生和发展中的潜在作用。
Two studies published in 2014 looked at vitamin D levels in the blood of people with or at risk of OA. A study published inThe Journal of Nutritionfound that participants with low vitamin D levels had a more than 2-fold elevated risk of knee OA progression compared with those with greater vitamin D concentrations. The other, published inAnnals of Rheumatic Diseases,found that among older adults, moderate vitamin D deficiency predicted new or worsening knee pain over 5 years.
Continue readingVitamin D May Slow Osteoarthritis Progression
Widely used by doctors to soften forehead wrinkles and reduce uncontrollably sweaty armpits, researchers are exploring botulinum toxin as a potential therapy forosteoarthritis (OA) pain.
“TheBotoxstory is very intriguing,” says David Felson, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine. “It isn’t just muscles. It can paralyze nerves. Just like celebrities injecting it into wrinkles, it could have the same effect on a hip muscle.Botox会麻痹传递疼痛的肌肉
This toxin may eventually be used to treat OA patients whose pain is not sufficiently controlled by traditional medicines like NSAIDs or analgesics, and for patients who may experience adverse effects from those medicines, says Dr. Felson.
Continue readingStudies Suggest Botox May Ease Osteoarthritis Pain
Can cracking your knuckles cause cartilage breakdown? Can texting trigger hand OA? Will wearing high heels damage your knee joints?Osteoarthritis(OA), sometimes called “wear and tear” arthritis, occurs when the cartilage or cushion between joints breaks down leading to pain, stiffness and swelling. So it’s often thought that if you engage in repetitive activity and put added stress on your joints, it can affect how quickly you get OA or how fast it progresses. Can these five lifestyle factors – knuckle cracking, texting, diet, high-impact exercise and high-heeled shoes – affect your joint health and possibly cause osteoarthritis? Here’s what research says.
Continue readingCan Lifestyle Factors Influence Osteoarthritis Outcomes?