We asked our readers and followers “What are yourgo-to shoe types/brands for your rheumatoid arthritis?” Here are their answers.Continue reading你说它!Best Shoes for RA
RA Research Briefs: Lung Disease, Remission, Children of RA Patients
Keep up-to-date on the latestrheumatoid arthritis (RA)研究与我们的简要研究总结。
Lung Disease More Likely with RA
Rheumatoid arthritis may increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatorylung diseasethat makes breathing difficult, a new study shows. A Canadian study, which analyzed data from 24,265 patients with RA and 25,396 controls, found that people with RA had a 47% greater risk of being hospitalized for COPD than members of the general population.
SOURCE:Arthritis Care & Research,published online October, 2017
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RA Research Briefs: Vitamin D, Shingles, Jobs
Keep up-to-date on the latestrheumatoid arthritis (RA)研究与我们的简要研究总结。
Vitamin D Deficiency Associated with Neuropathic Pain
People with RA who suffer from neuropathic pain – or, understandably, are trying to avoid it – may do well to have theirvitamin D levelschecked. A study examined neuropathic pain indicators as well as blood samples of 93 patients with RA. The researchers found the prevalence of neuropathic pain was almost six times higher in patients with serum vitamin D levels below 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) than in patients with vitamin D levels ≥ 30 ng/mL. Anything below 20 ng/mL is considered a deficiency.
SOURCE:International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases,August 31, 2017
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Interval Training: A HIIT for RA?
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) tops the American College of Sports Medicine’s list of most popular workouts. According to a small study published inArthritis Research & Therapy,it might be just the ticket forrheumatoid arthritis (RA), too.
HIIT is an aerobic, heart-pumping form of exercise where short bursts of maximum effort, usually lasting from 20 to 60 seconds, alternate with less intense recovery periods. Studies suggest that HIIT is as effective at burning calories and improving heart and lung health as steady-state exercises like running or biking. One 2018 meta-analysis found that HIIT was significantly better than moderately intense steady exercise for patients with heart disease.
Only a few small studies have looked atHIIT for people who have RA. On the whole, they showed that participants lost weight, gained muscle and improved their joint health without any increase in inflammation or pain. But researchers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, wanted to learn more, including whether HIIT could improve disease activity and immune function.
Meditation for RA and PsA
Meditation is good for your soul. Research shows it can also help ease pain caused by all types of arthritis, includingrheumatoid arthritis (RA),psoriatic arthritis (PsA)andosteoarthritis (OA).
For centuries,meditation has been used to help focus the mind and soothe the spirit. But scientific evidence suggests this ancient practice – particularly a modern form known as mindfulness meditation or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) – offers a variety of health benefits, including relief for chronic joint pain and skin disorders like psoriasis.
FDA Approves a New Oral Drug for Moderate to Severe RA
People with moderate to severerheumatoid arthritis (RA)who haven’t responded well to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor medications now have a new option. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved baricitinib (Olumiant), a pill that is taken once a day.
Baricitinib is a targeteddisease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)that blocks Janus kinase (JAK), a group of enzymes that enable inflammatory signals to be activated inside a cell. It’s the second in this class of drug to hit the market for the treatment of RA; tofacitinib (Xeljanz) was the first, approved in 2012.
“It’s not a biologic but a ‘small molecule,’ or oral, targeted agent, that is highly effective in treating the signs and symptoms of RA,” explains Paul Howard, MD, a rheumatologist in Scottsdale, AZ. It is expected to be significantly cheaper than biologic medications.Continue readingFDA Approves a New Oral Drug for Moderate to Severe RA
RA Research Briefs: Tofacitinib, Fish, Remission
Keep up-to-date on the latestrheumatoid arthritis (RA)研究与我们的简要研究总结。
Tofacitinib Plus Methotrexate May Work As Well As Biologic
If methotrexate (MTX) alone fails to control RA, adding the oral Janus kinase (JAX) inhibitor tofacitinib (Xeljanz) may be as effective as the standard practice of adding a biologic. The JAX inhibitor belongs to the third category ofdisease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)called targeted DMARDs. In a study of 1,146 patients with rheumatoid arthritis that had not adequately responded to MTX alone, approximately a third were switched to tofacitinib, while the others received either tofacitinib or thebiologicadalimumab (Humira) along with methotrexate. At 6 months, only 38% of the patients receiving tofacitinib monotherapy achieved ACR50 – 50 percent improvement – while 46% of patients that received tofacitinib and MTX achieved that response. Forty-four percent of patients who combined adalimubab with MTX achieved the similar improved response of the tofacitnib and MTX group.
SOURCE:The Lancet, July 2017Continue readingRA Research Briefs: Tofacitinib, Fish, Remission
Rheumatoid Arthritis Flares: The Ups and Downs of Pregnancy
对于一些患有风湿性关节炎的女性来说，怀孕会带来意想不到的好处:症状得到改善。大约70%患有风湿性关节炎的妇女在妊娠中期症状得到改善，这种情况可以持续到分娩后的前6周，J. Bruce Smith医学博士说，他是费城托马斯杰斐逊大学(Thomas Jefferson University)研究的助理合规官，也是一位主要研究自身免疫性疾病和妊娠的风湿病学家。
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RA Research Briefs: Remission, Biologics, Exercise
Keep up-to-date on the latestrheumatoid arthritis (RA)研究与我们的简要研究总结。
Smoking, Obesity Make RA Harder to Control
Remission in RA patientscan be harder to achieve in those who are overweight or smoke, according to a recent study. American and Canadian researchers who collected data on more than 1,100 patients receiving standard treatment for RA found that sex (being female),excess weightandsmokingwere not significantly associated with symptom severity early on. However, all three factors influenced how much symptoms improved over time. The most dramatic differences in symptoms were seen in patients who were overweight or obese and smoked, the study found.
Source: ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, November 2016
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RA Research Briefs: Remission, Surgery, Green Tea
Keep up-to-date on the latestrheumatoid arthritis (RA)研究与我们的简要研究总结。
Obesity Reduces Odds of RA Remission
Research suggests weight may be a factor in whether people with RA will achieve disease remission. A review of studies screened a total 3,368 patient records. Canadian researchers found obese patients with RA were less likely to achieve remission or sustain remission compared to healthy-weight patients.Obesity, they reported, negatively impacts disease activityand patient-reported outcomes during therapy. Therefore, they say, interventions to reduce BMI should be investigated for the ability to improve disease outcomes.
Source: Arthritis Care & Research, January 2017
Continue readingRA Research Briefs: Remission, Surgery, Green Tea