ArthritisDigest2013
Overweight boys more likely to have knee problems as adults
Being overweight in childhood can impact on men’s joint health later, says research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
Participants (449 people aged 31–41 years) had their height, weight and history of knee injuries recorded and compared to data from their childhood years.
Men who were overweight as boys were more likely to experience knee pain, stiffness and dysfunction later in life, even if they had slimmed down as they got older.
So weight issues in early life could be a direct cause of later knee symptoms among men.
New drug for kids with CAPS
Children in the UK who have CAPS now have access to a drug called Anakinra (Kineret).
CAPS is an umbrella term for a number of rare, life-long autoinflammatory diseases.
The drug is an interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitor, and can be used in children as young as eight months, says the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Continue reading
Osteoarthritis patients often expect conservative treatment to fail
People with osteoarthritis have low expectations of the success of conservative approaches to managing their condition, says a UK study published in Rheumatology International Journal.
Over 1,300 people from 33 studies were included in the review, which found that people with osteoarthritis often delay their diagnosis, deciding instead to self-manage their condition using informal information. Professional opinion is only sought after a critical point is reached.
People then tend to think that self-management techniques will fail and are simply delaying the inevitable requirement for a joint replacement.
“Patients should be enthused towards the principles of self-management and clinicians should not trivialise osteoarthritis,” report the study authors. “This may provide a more valuable perception of non-operative management to promote its adoption and adherence in managing osteoarthritis.”
Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements can help osteoarthritis, says new study
The potential benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements for people with osteoarthritis have been highlighted in a study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Disease.
A total of 600 people with osteoarthritis of the knee were split into groups. Some received drug treatment (analgesic therapies or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) alongside a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement and others were given the supplement alone. After two years, the participants’ knees were assessed for structural changes using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. Continue reading
Back pain drug now available in UK
People with a type of inflammatory back pain now have access to a new biological therapy option called certolizumab pegol (Cimzia).
The drug is injected and is offered free to eligible adults with pre-radiographic ankylosing spondylitis, or axial spondyloarthritis for 12 weeks.
Axial spondyloarthritis affects about 1% of people in the UK and can cause severe back pain, damage to the pelvis, inflammation of tendons and ligaments and sore red eyes. Some people later develop ankylosing spondylitis. Continue reading
