In a nutshell This study examined the short term benefits and harms of using methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic (long-term) disease that leads to inflammation of the joints. The severity of patients’ symptoms can be graded using the ACR 50 (the American...
Read More
In a nutshell This study examined whether there is a genetic basis for hip fractures in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a bone disease which causes bone loss (decreased bone mass and bone density). This in turn leads to the bones...
Read More
In a nutshell This study examined whether there is a link between the length of patients fingers and chronic pain or osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis; it occurs when the protective cartilage covering the bone gets worn away). Some background Finger length pattern (FLP; or digit ratio) refers to the ratio between the second digit...
Read More
In a nutshell This article analyzed the most up-to-date research with regards to pregnancy and rheumatoid arthritis. The research included patients before, during and after pregnancy. Some background Very early medical researchers (1930) noticed that women who had rheumatoid arthritis had some relief from their symptoms during pregnancy. Although...
Read More
What’s in a name? A Lot A one-woman campaign has been going on since 2009**. It’s led to a blog, a foundation, awards and an awareness day (February 2). Yet this woman isn’t done yet! She’s on a mission to change the name and the understanding of a terrible autoimmune disease that affects over 1.3 million in the US according to data from 2009. ...
Read More
In a nutshell This study examined what drug treatment strategy is best for treating patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis aims to achieve remission (a decrease in or disappearance of signs and symptoms of disease). In recent decades big improvements have been made in the...
Read More
In a nutshell This study investigated whether a 12 week therapeutic exercise program can decrease pain sensitivity in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Some background Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and can affect any joint in the body. One common symptom of osteoarthritis is pain during or after movement. It has...
Read More
In a nutshell This study investigated whether specific blood markers can predict if patients will be affected by rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-IDL). Some background Interstitial lung disease is a condition involving inflammation and scarring in the lungs. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at higher risk of...
Read More
In a nutshell The authors examined the patterns of use of methotrexate: dose administered, method of administration, and duration of treatment. Some background Methotrexate (MTX) is the most commonly used medication for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and is the first treatment recommended for newly diagnosed patients. It can be given...
Read More
In a nutshell This study investigated how safe and successful golimumab is as an add-on therapy to a range of existing rheumatoid arthritis drugs. Some background Rheumatoid arthritis treatments aim to achieve and maintain remission (a decrease in or disappearance of signs and symptoms of disease). This in turn...
Read More
In a nutshell This study examined the influence of alendronate (Fosamax) and betamethasone on bone loss in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Some background Bone loss is a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis. It can occur as a result of the disease itself or as a result of drugs used to treat the disease. Inflammation in the...
Read More
In a nutshell This paper studies whether anticitrullinated protein antibodies and rheumatoid factor have an additive effect (an increased effect when both are present together compared to when either is present alone) on bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis. Some background In rheumatoid arthritis, the presence of proteins like...
Read More
