All posts byArthritis Foundation

vitamin d deficiency
Wednesday, October 3 |Arthritis Foundation

RA Research Briefs: Vitamin D, Shingles, Jobs

Keep up-to-date on the latestrheumatoid arthritis (RA)research with our brief research summaries.

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 levels检查。一项研究检查了93名RA患者的神经性疼痛指标和血液样本。研究人员发现，血清维生素D水平低于20纳克/毫升(ng/mL)的患者神经性疼痛的患病率几乎是维生素D水平≥30纳克/毫升患者的6倍。低于20ng /mL被认为是缺乏症。

SOURCE:International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases,August 31, 2017

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rheumatoid arthritis
Tuesday, September 18 |Arthritis Foundation

Interval Training: A HIIT for RA?

高强度间歇训练(HIIT)在美国运动医学学院最受欢迎的锻炼项目中名列榜首。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.

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meditation ra psa
Monday, August 27 |Arthritis Foundation

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.

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rheumatoid arthritis treatment fda approved
Monday, June 25 |Arthritis Foundation

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→

eating fish rheumatoid arthritis
Tuesday, June 19 |Arthritis Foundation

RA Research Briefs: Tofacitinib, Fish, Remission

Keep up-to-date on the latestrheumatoid arthritis (RA)research with our brief research summaries.

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 pregnancy
Thursday, May 10 |Arthritis Foundation

Rheumatoid Arthritis Flares: The Ups and Downs of Pregnancy

For some women with RA, pregnancy brings on an unexpected bonus: improved symptoms. Approximately 70% of women with RA experience improved symptoms in the second trimester that can last through the first 6 weeks after delivery, says J. Bruce Smith, MD, assistant compliance officer for research at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and a rheumatologist whose research has focused largely on autoimmune disease and pregnancy.

Continue readingRheumatoid Arthritis Flares: The Ups and Downs of Pregnancy→