Category Archives: Symptom Management

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RA Research Briefs: Lung Disease, Remission, Children of RA Patients

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

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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rheumatoid arthritis

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.总体而言,他们表明参与者减轻了体重,增加了肌肉,改善了关节健康,而没有增加任何炎症或疼痛。但是位于北卡罗来纳州达勒姆的杜克大学的研究人员想要了解更多,包括HIIT是否可以改善疾病活动和免疫功能。

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meditation ra psa

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.但科学证据表明,这种古老的做法——尤其是一种被称为正念冥想或正念减压(MBSR)的现代形式——提供了多种健康益处,包括缓解慢性关节疼痛和牛皮癣等皮肤疾病。

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rheumatoid arthritis pregnancy

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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rheumatoid arthritis green tea

RA Research Briefs: Remission, Surgery, Green Tea

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

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

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rheumatoid arthritis menopause

Daily Tasks Get Harder for Women with RA After Menopause

Women withrheumatoid arthritis (RA)report a decline in physical function after menopause, possibly due to shifting hormone levels, according to a recent study in the journalRheumatology.

The researchers, led by Elizabeth Mollard, PhD, an assistant professor and advanced nurse practitioner at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Lincoln, undertook the study because there are known associations between RA and female hormones, but the connections are poorly understood. For example, RA often goes into remission duringpregnancybut flares after delivery. First-timesymptoms of RAappear more frequently after pregnancy, too. And for reasons that may or may not be hormone-related, women get RA at three times the rate that men do and they tend to have more pain and disability than their male counterparts.

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cold flu prevention ra psa

You Said It: Avoiding the Flu with RA or PsA

If you have an autoimmune disease, likerheumatoid arthritis (RA),psoriatic arthritis (PsA), orlupus, or you take immunosuppressing drugs, you have to be extra-careful to avoid contagious diseases. We asked our readers and followers “What steps do you take to avoid getting sick during flu and cold season?” Here are their answers.

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rheumatoid arthritis treatment to prevent joint deformities

Aggressive RA Treatment May Prevent Joint Deformities

Thanks to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments, joint deformities in people withrheumatoid arthritis (RA)are becoming less frequent and severe.

是什么导致风湿性关节炎的关节畸形?

In a joint affected by RA, inflammatory cells of the immune system gather in the lining of the joint (called synovium), forming a fibrous layer of abnormal tissue (called pannus). The pannus releases substances that quicken bone erosion, cartilage destruction and damage to the surrounding ligaments. The involved joints lose their shape and alignment, resulting in deformities. Severe deformities lead to loss of joint function and the need for joint replacement surgery.

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fish rheumatoid arthritis

Eating Fish May Relieve RA

Eating fish at least twice a week may help reduce inflammation and joint pain in people withrheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a new analysis published recently inArthritis Care & Research.

Fish oil supplementshave long been known to improve pain as well as increase remission rates in RA patients takingtriple therapy.This is among the first studies to show that fish itself – withlower concentrations than supplements of the active ingredients, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – may be just as good.

But, the study authors say more studies are needed, noting, “…we cannot draw firm conclusions about the impact of frequent fish consumption on RA activity.”

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