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Rheumatoid Arthritis Flares Management Control

Get and Keep Control of Your Rheumatoid Arthritis

当关节炎活跃和疼痛时,你会有一个持续的提醒和强烈的动机去服药。但是,当你的疾病得到控制时,你可能很容易忘记服用一到两剂药物,甚至可能会试图完全停止服用药物。但这样做并不是一个好主意。你的感觉——特别是当你在服药的时候——并不总是有潜在疾病活动的迹象。停止用药可能会导致你的疾病加剧,导致不可修复的关节损伤,这是你的医生在开药时一开始就想要预防的。
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Remission Obesity

New Research: Obesity May Reduce the Chance of RA Remission by as Much as Half

People withrheumatoid arthritis(RA) who are obese are less likely to achieve disease remission than their non-obese counterparts, according to a meta-analysis published in May in关节炎护理与研究。The review also found that obesity was associated with higher levels of disease activity and pain, suggesting excess weight may negatively affect overall outcomes in RA. This meta-analysis supports earlier research, including astudypresented at the 2015 annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology.
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RA Remission Overweight

Being Overweight Can Hurt Rheumatoid Arthritis Remission

If you have a few – or a lot – of pounds to lose, you know that carrying excess weight around can stress your painful or fragile joints. But research shows that the mechanical effects of weight are just part of the problem.

Fat itself releases chemicals including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) that promote inflammation. These chemicals may not only increase the risk of developing some forms of arthritis, but they may also increase arthritis severity or make it harder to control.

事实上,2015年美国风湿病学会年会上公布的一项研究发现,对于早期类风湿关节炎(RA)患者来说,超重或肥胖会降低获得持续缓解的机会。
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Gut Bacteria Microbes Rheumatoid Arthritis

Gut Bacteria: A Potential Game Changer for Rheumatoid Arthritis

You share your body with trillions of microbes – many of them beneficial bacteria living in your intestinal tract. Collectively called the microbiome, these bugs influence health and disease through complex interactions with your immune system. Often, their role is protective, guarding against pathogens and inflammation. But increasingly strong evidence suggests that disruptions in the microbial ecosystem may cause or contribute to many chronic diseases, includingrheumatoid arthritis(RA).

Jose Scher, MD, a rheumatologist at New York University Langone Medical Center, studies the connection between intestinal bugs and arthritis. He thinks the overgrowth of normally benign bacteria calledPrevotella– which are far more abundant in people with untreated RA – may trigger an inflammatory response that targets the joints. It’s also possiblePrevotella挤掉控制炎症的有益细菌。无论如何,谢尔相信微生物群和关节炎之间存在联系。
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Outcomes Lifestyle

Outlook Brighter For People With Rheumatoid Arthritis

People withrheumatoid arthritis(RA) are likely to have a much better quality of life today than they did two decades ago. Researchers in the Netherlands observed more than 1,100 patients diagnosed with RA between 1990 and 2011. They attribute the gains to earlier diagnosis, more aggressive medications and a greater emphasis on overall well-being. Their findings were published inArthritis Care & Researchin 2014.

Lead author Cecile Overman, a postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, says she and her colleagues wanted to determine ifimproved treatments在过去的20年里,促进了RA患者的身心健康。Continue readingOutlook Brighter For People With Rheumatoid Arthritis

rheumatoid arthritis inflammation control

Early Control of RA Inflammation Prevents Joint Surgery

With the advent of early, aggressive treatment and more effective drugs,rheumatoid arthritis (RA)patients are facing joint surgery much less than they were 20 years ago.

When rheumatologist Erdal Diri started working at Trinity Health Center in Minot, N.D., more than a decade ago, he saw many RA patients referred to him by surgeons frustrated by the levels of joint inflammation they saw. Better inflammation-fighting drugs and a new approach to treating RA more aggressively have changed that, he says. From an average of 30 to 40 RA patients per year being sent for surgery at this rural hospital, Dr. Diri now sends only 4 or 5.

Research Backs a Decline in RA Joint Surgeries

A study conducted by rheumatologists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and published inJournal of Rheumatology2012年3月,对1980年至2007年813例RA患者的手术进行了跟踪调查。由医学博士Eric L. Matteson领导的研究人员发现,在确诊后的10年内,任何关节手术的发病率从1980年至1994年的27.3%上升到1995年至2007年的19.5%。
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RA Exercise Fatigue

计步器能帮助对抗类风湿性关节炎相关的疲劳吗?

根据2015年美国风湿病学会年会上提出的研究,帮助类风湿关节炎(RA)患者对抗疲劳的关键可能是——字面上和象征性地——在公园里散步。来自加州大学旧金山分校(UCSF)的研究人员发现,适度的锻炼可以减少疲劳,而计步器——加上一点指导——有助于增加人们的运动量。

“Fatigue is one of the top-rated concerns; it has multiple sources and causes. We know from earlier studies that physical inactivity is associated with fatigue,” says lead study author Patricia Katz, PhD, a professor of medicine and health policy at UCSF. “We wanted an intervention that is simple, exportable and has few barriers to implementation.”

Katz and her team measured the activity level of 96 people with RA for one week, and had them fill out questionnaires. Then the participants were randomly divided into three groups. One group was educated on the need to be active. The second group was given a pedometer and a diary to record their daily steps. The third group got a pedometer, a step diary plus personalized daily step targets. The step targets were based on each person’s starting activity level and increased 10%every two weeks. Groups two and three also got phone calls every two weeks to collect the information from their step diaries.
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Wounds Rheumatoid Arthritis

Slow-Healing Wounds Common in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Slow-healing wounds, including leg and foot ulcers, are a known complication of several autoimmune inflammatory diseases, includingrheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus and scleroderma. For many people, these wounds can take months or even years to heal.

“People with RA develop wounds for many reasons,” says Eric Matteson, MD, chairman of rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “One is that they may have low-grade vasculitis – inflammation affecting the small blood vessels in the skin. When the wound is related to the underlying systemic inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, not having that inflammation under control makes it much more difficult to achieve good wound healing.”

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Biomarker Tests Rheumatoid Arthritis

Biomarker Tests for Rheumatoid Arthritis Improve Care

Early detection and aggressive treatment ofrheumatoid arthritis (RA)are vital to prevent joint damage. To spot RA and measure its progression, rheumatologists test the blood for certain biomarkers that are characteristic of RA. Although several biomarker tests – the erythrocyte sedimentation (sed) rate, the C-reactive protein (CRP), and rheumatoid factor (RF) – indicate inflammation, they are fairly non-specific to RA. So, the development of more specific biomarker tests is important. These tests allow earlier detection of RA and also pave the way for more customized care.

Below are descriptions of more specific biomarker tests that are being used to diagnose and monitor RA disease activity.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Lung Disease

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lung Problems

Have a cough that won’t quit? Been short of breath lately? It could be a nasty cold or flu virus, or the problem could be related to yourrheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA attacks the joints, but it doesn’t always stop there. It can affect other organs, including the lungs. In fact, some 20 to 30 percent of RA patients will eventually develop RA-related lung disease. Doctors may classify a lung problem as restrictive lung disease (such as interstitial lung disease) or obstructive lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma). Both result in shortness of breath.

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