ArthritisDigest2013
Biologics and cancer risk in rheumatoid arthritis: the latest news
Dr Chris Deighton, President of the British Society for Rheumatology
Biological therapies do not increase the risk of recurrent cancer compared to conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), claims new research due to be presented at Rheumatology 2014.
Scientists looked at data from 425 people with rheumatoid arthritis who had previously had cancer. They examined the relationship between treatment type and new cancer cases, comparing people taking biologics with those who had never taken these drugs. Continue reading
Exercise when young makes bones stronger for life
Bone is a living tissue that gets stronger in response to the forces associated with exercise. Exercise has the greatest benefit on bone strength during growth; but until now whether the benefits of exercise during youth persist with ageing, was largely unknown.
A series of studies published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked at differences between the throwing and non-throwing arms of baseball players at different stages of their career and compared them to non-baseball players. Continue reading
Parkinson’s disease increases risk of osteoporosis, says new research
Parkinson’s disease and osteoporosis are both chronic diseases associated with increasing age but it seems they have a more intricate relationship than previously thought.
An analysis of 23 studies that is published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry reveals that people with Parkinson’s disease – particularly women – are at higher risk of osteoporosis than healthy controls. Continue reading
New report outlines which buses, trains and trams allow mobility scooter access
The Minimo, from TGA Mobility, is one of the scooters suitable for use on public transport
With more than 300,000 mobility scooters in the UK, more scooters are now allowed on public transport. But knowing which scooter can go on which local bus, train or tram is not so easy.
Now an online search produced by Rica (an independent consumer research charity) can help.
Buses
Scooter users are allowed on the bus if all of the following apply: Continue reading
Anti-malarial drugs can reduce risk of lupus, says new study
People with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who are of African descent and from lower socioeconomic groups face a higher risk of primary cardiac disease, suggest research published in Rheumatology. But those taking anti-malarial drugs reduce their risk.
The research involved records from more than 1,400 people from 34 centres across nine Latin American countries. People newly diagnosed with SLE were tracked between 1997 and 2005. Continue reading
