ArthritisDigest2013
Hip fractures increase with chronic damage to intestine in coeliac disease
People with coeliac disease who have chronic damage of the small intestine are more likely to fracture their hip, says research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Experts looked at tissue samples from 7,146 people in Sweden (average age 23 years) who had coeliac disease and had biopsies between six months and five years after their diagnoses. Continue reading
Vitamin D could reduce fibromyalgia pain
People with fibromyalgia may benefit from less pain through the use of vitamin D supplements, says a small study published in Pain.
Experts assessed 30 women with fibromyalgia who had low levels of calcifediol, a prehormone produced in the liver. Measuring calcifediol is a standard way of showing a person’s vitamin D status. Because low levels of calcifediol are common in people with fibromyalgia and severe pain, the team wanted to see if increasing the levels of calcifediol would help to alleviate pain. Continue reading
Gout rates soaring in UK, but treatment remains poor
UK rates of gout have soared since the late1990s, with one in every 40 people now affected – the highest level in Europe – but treatment remains as poor now as it was then, reveals research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The researchers used a large database of 12 million records and investigated treatment for those who already had gout and those who were newly diagnosed (within six to 12 months) to see how well their condition was being managed.
Among more than 4.5 million eligible people on the database in 2012, almost 116,000 already had gout (ie 2.5% of people). Men were more likely to have been diagnosed with gout than women and highest numbers of cases were in Wales and the North East of England. New cases were highest in people aged 80–84 years. Continue reading
Shoulder replacement surgery success in rheumatoid arthritis
People with rheumatoid arthritis could benefit from shoulder surgery, says research from The Mayo Clinic in the US.
Many people with rheumatoid arthritis eventually develop shoulder arthritis but replacement surgery can be complicated because bones start wearing away. If medication and physical therapy are not enough, shoulder replacement surgery is a common next step and it improves motion and reduces pain in nearly all cases, the scientists explain in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Continue reading
Tea consumption may reduce risk of fracture
Drinking a few cups of tea a day could reduce the chance of fracturing a hip bone, says a new study published in Osteoporosis International.
For some time experts have investigated if drinking tea and coffee is associated with the risk of hip fracture – but results of previous research have been inconsistent. So a team from Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine looked at 14 studies involving 195,992 people and 9,958 cases of hip fractures. Continue reading
