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News and Features Related to Arthritis

Flesh-Eating Bacteria and Lupus

May 14, 2012 -- Infection with flesh-eating bacteria, a condition called called necrotizing fasciitis, has struck Aimee Copeland, a 24-year-old Georgia student who reportedly also has lupus. It's estimated that 5 million people worldwide, including 1.5 million Americans, have lupus. Are they at risk
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Ask the Expert: I Have RA and My Husband Won't Help

In every issue of WebMD the Magazine, we ask our experts to answer readers' questions about a wide range of topics. In our May 2011 issue, a reader with rheumatoid arthritis asked WebMD's rheumatology expert, Scott Zashin, MD, why her husband doesn't help her more. A: It is not at all unusual for ma
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Rheumatoid Arthritis and Depression

If rheumatoid arthritis is making you depressed, Patricia Doyle’s experience may sound familiar. Doyle used to love to take long walks near her home in San Francisco and went dancing three nights a week. But four years ago, she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 58. As the pain go
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New Guidelines for Kidney Disease Due to Lupus

May 3, 2012 -- When lupus attacks the kidneys, the damage can be life-threatening. Now, updated guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology are aimed at identifying kidney involvement in lupus early and treating it aggressively to stop this damage in its tracks. Systemic lupus erythematosus
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RA and Your Diet

How much can what you eat help -- or hurt -- your rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? For decades, researchers have looked into whether there is a link between food and RA. For almost as long, various diets and supplements have claimed to relieve swollen joints and morning stiffness -- or even falsely "cure"
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Shopping and Preparing Easy Meals When You Have Arthritis

Putting healthy meals on the table means lifting grocery bags, opening jars with lids, dicing and slicing, and handling bulky pots. But all of those activities pose a challenge when you have arthritis. Fortunately, there are plenty of clever solutions you can use to make shopping and meal preparatio
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Easing Stress, Easing Arthritis Symptoms

Whether it’s a problem at work, relationship troubles, or just dealing with traffic, we all deal with stress in our lives. But ongoing stress can take a toll on your health. It can also make any health condition that you have feel worse, including arthritis. When your body is under stress, it releas
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Stress and RA: How to Stay in Control

Hilary Wilson of Duluth, Ga., now 60, was officially diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or RA in 1987, but she is pretty sure she had the inflammatory arthritis long before that. RA is a chronic disease, marked by inflammation of the lining of the joints. It can lead to chronic joint pain, loss of
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1/3 With Arthritis Report Anxiety or Depression

April 30, 2012 -- One-third of people 45 and older with arthritis report that they are depressed or anxious, a new study shows. And anxiety may even be more common than depression among these people. "The emotional consequences of arthritis are high," says researcher Louise Murphy, PhD. She is an e
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Should You Have Knee or Hip Replacement Surgery?

Once considered high-tech, joint replacements are now a common operation. Surgeons replace more than a million hips and knees each year in the U.S. Studies show joint replacements can significantly relieve pain and increase mobility in about 90% of people who get them. "Joint replacement can be a li
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