Gout
Being active at any age helps heart health says new study – and how to exercise with arthritis
Being physically active in old age can help reduce the risk of a heart attack, according to new research published in Circulation.
Scientists studied the function of hearts in people over the age of 65 years. They found that those who remained active, or who boosted the amount of exercise they did, had a lower risk of heart problems. Continue reading
Possible link between fracture risk and uric acid levels
A potential link between higher uric acid levels in older men and an elevated risk of hip fracture has been discussed in research presented at the National Kidney Foundation spring clinical meetings.
Scientists looked at 4,692 people (1,963 men and 2,729 women) and recorded their levels of uric acid. Over the course of 11 years, there were 156 hip fractures. Continue reading
Genetic component to chronic pain, says recent research
An investigation into the causes of chronic pain suggests there are genetic similarities in people who have similar intensities of pain, a finding that could lead to new treatments and future drug development.
Experts asked 2,721 people with chronic pain (that meant they had been prescribed opioid pain medication) to rate the intensity of their pain from 0 to 10: 9% had low pain perception (scored 1–3); 46% had moderate pain perception (scored 4–6); 45% had high pain perception (scored 7–10). Interesting genetic findings were: Continue reading
CT scans improve diagnosis of gout
Gout is on the march in the UK and it seems that this painful form of inflammatory arthritis is more complicated than had been thought. The standard way to check for gout is by drawing fluid or tissue from an affected joint and looking for uric acid crystals (needle aspiration). Usually that works, but sometimes people can be misdiagnosed with different types of inflammatory arthritis and then treated incorrectly. Continue reading
Herbal cannabis to treat arthritis? Not recommended.
The suitability of using herbal cannabis to treat arthritis and related conditions is under scrutiny due to the results of a Canadian report.
A group of researchers looked at the dosing, administration, efficacy and risks of herbal cannabis in pain management in people with arthritis in the 20 US states where it is legal. Continue reading
