ArthritisDigest2013
Drug launch to treat polyarticular juvenile arthritis
A drug called RoActemra (tocilizumab) is now available as a treatment option for a severe form of juvenile arthritis. Polyarticular juvenile arthritis has a poor prognosis as the remission rate is only 15% over 10 years. Around 30–40% of children with polyarticular juvenile arthritis require early joint replacement.
In 2011 RoActemra was approved for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and now it’s available for children with polyarticular juvenile arthritis too. It can be given alone or in combination with methotrexate and it showed a significant reduction of flares in a clinical study. Continue reading
Marijuana’s potential for treating arthritis
A compound in marijuana – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – may be beneficial in treating those with autoimmune disorders, says research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The study from the University of South Carolina is the first to explore how tiny, yet powerful molecules called microRNAs are influenced by THC. MicroRNAs plan a vital role in gene expression; they act as brakes that target over 60% of gene expression. Being able to alter microRNA expression could hold the key to successful treatments for a whole host of autoimmune diseases, including arthritis. Continue reading
Joint surgery can improve heart health of people with osteoarthritis
Hip and knee replacement surgery could better the cardiovascular health of people with osteoarthritis, says research published in the British Medical Journal.
A Canadian research team found that joint replacements may be associated with reduced risk of heart disease for people with severe osteoarthritis. Continue reading
Decision time: your choice determines your healthcare
The advent of NHS Choices nearly five years ago means that everyone who is cared for by the NHS in England now has the right to choose about the service that they receive. So you can choose a GP surgery, which doctor you see within the surgery and which hospital you’re treated at, and information will be given to you to support your decisions.
So what is important to think about when you’re about to have an arthritis-related procedure, such as a knee or hip replacement? Continue reading
With 20 books under her belt and more to come, Martina Cole has taken control of her rheumatoid arthritis, reports Iona Walton
Martina Cole’s page-turning crime novels have made her one of the most successful British female novelists of all time. Gritty plotlines tackle London’s underworld and have achieved sales of over ten million books; Martina’s twentieth book – Revenge – looks set to storm bestseller lists around the world this Autumn.
Less well-known is that Martina has a daily battle with rheumatoid arthritis, triggered when she broke her arms after falling off a swing as a child, and diagnosed when she was 21 years old. At the time her son, Christopher, was a baby and Martina had three jobs… and was a long way from the comfort of the fame she has since acquired. Continue reading
