ArthritisDigest2013
Cinnamon compound could treat rheumatoid arthritis in the future
A compound found in cinnamon and tonka beans is under the spotlight due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists from the University of Eastern Finland hope that new ways of synthesising coumarin-based drugs could lead to better treatment of chronic inflammation diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Continue reading
Salt content of medicines under scrutiny
Painkillers that dissolve in water could pose a health risk because they are too high in salt, says research published in the British Medical Journal.
Scientists set out to investigate if people who take drugs that contain salt have a higher risk of cardiovascular events compared with those who take non-sodium formulations of the same drugs.
The team looked at data from 1.2 million people in the UK and tracked them for seven years. Within that time, 61 072 people had a cardiovascular event.
Exposure to fizzy, dissolvable medicines that contained salt was associated with significantly increased odds of heart attack or stroke compared with standard formulations of the same drugs. Continue reading
Education about joint protection helps hand osteoarthritis
Joint protection education from occupational therapists is an effective way of supporting older people with hand osteoarthritis and provides an effective treatment, says research published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
More than 250 people aged over 50 years from GP surgeries in Cheshire and Staffordshire were split into four groups: joint protection; hand exercises; joint protection and hand exercises combined; and no joint protection or hand exercises. All groups were given written information on self-management techniques based on Arthritis Research UK booklets. Continue reading
New rheumatoid arthritis drug shows promise
A new therapy for people with rheumatoid arthritis has demonstrated potential in a phase III clinical trial.
Sarilumab was assessed in a trial of 1,200 adults with active rheumatoid arthritis who had not responded to methotrexate therapy. Volunteers were split into three groups. Two groups received different dosages of sarilumab, and a third was given a placebo treatment with methotrexate.
The study has yet to be published, but the scientists found that when sarilumab was injected with methotrexate it improved disease signs, symptoms and physical function, and inhibited progression of joint damage. Continue reading
Drinking extra milk as a teen may not mean hip fracture benefits later
Doubt has been cast on the theory that drinking plenty of milk early in life can help people avoid bone fractures later down the line in a large US study published in JAMA Pediatrics.
The association between teenage milk consumption and risk of hip fracture at older ages was examined in a study of more than 96,000 people with a follow-up of over 22 years.
There was no link between teenage milk consumption levels and hip fracture frequency in women. But men who drank a lot of milk between 13 years and 18 years actually saw an increased risk of hip bone injuries. Every additional glass of milk per day as a teenager was associated with a 9% higher risk among males. The association was influenced by height.
“We did not see an increased risk of hip fracture with teenage milk consumption in women as we did in men,” says Dr Diane Feskanich, who led the work. “One explanation may be the competing benefit of an increase in bone mass with an adverse effect of greater height.
“Women are at higher risk for osteoporosis than men, hence the benefit of greater bone mass balanced the increased risk related to height.”
The message is that drinking milk during adolescence is recommended to achieve peak bone mass, but it can lead to greater height too, which is a risk factor for hip fracture.
More research is on the menu
To read the original research visit http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1769138.
