Arthritis Health Center

News and Features Related to Arthritis

131. Scientists Make Discoveries in the Biology of Lupus
     

     March 9, 2011 -- Researchers think they may have discovered the mechanism that drives the body’s attack on its own cells and tissues in the autoimmune disease lupus. Two new studies published in the journal Science Translational Medicine point to a cycle of cell death and chronic inflammation involv

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132. Poor Sleep May Worsen RA Symptoms
     

     Feb. 16, 2011 -- People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who don’t sleep well face significant risks of greater functional disability due to pain and fatigue symptoms associated with poor sleep quality, a new study shows. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh studied the relationship between sle

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133. Obesity, Knee Osteoarthritis Hurt Seniors’ Life Expectancy
     

     Feb. 14, 2011 -- Obesity and osteoarthritis of the knee substantially affect the quality of life and life expectancy for millions of older Americans, according to a new study. Researchers say obesity and osteoarthritis often overlap in older adults, with increasing body weight putting stress on agin

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134. Rheumatoid Arthritis Drugs Are Underused
     

     Feb. 1, 2011 -- Widely available drugs that are recommended early in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are not being prescribed nearly as much as they could be. That’s the conclusion of a new study that says effective medicines called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are not being

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135. Raising a Baby When You Have RA
     

     Amy Louise Nelson, 34, relied on her Boppy support pillow while nursing her two children. While many new moms find comfort with this fluffy U-shaped pillow when breastfeeding, Nelson physically depended on hers to take the strain off her arms. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 1998, this m

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136. Depression Lurks for Low-Income RA Patients
     

     Jan. 28, 2011 -- Rheumatoid arthritis patients from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to develop symptoms of depression than people who have higher incomes and better access to health care services, a new study indicates. Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco examined

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137. Sex, Aging, and Rheumatoid Arthritis
     

     Some women with rheumatoid arthritis sail through menopause without a care while others experience a full menu of menopause symptoms: hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, weight gain. Menopause can also increase symptoms of RA, such as joint pain and fatigue. There is actually a slight rise in new di

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138. RA and Exercise: Getting Fit at Home and With Your Family
     

     When Melinda Winner was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), she was overwhelmed by depression. “I laid around the house eating,” says Winner, now the author of A Complete Guide to Living with Arthritis. “The more I laid, the more depressed I became, and the bigger I became, and with the weight

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139. RA and Intimacy: Keeping Relationships Strong
     

     So how's your sex life? With rheumatoid arthritis, that question may make you sigh instead of smile. Fatigue can kill desire. Fear of hip or knee pain can keep you from trying. Or perhaps emotional pain is holding you back -- you just don't feel as connected to your lover as you used to or you don't

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140. WebMD Fibromyalgia Community: Fatigue and Fibromyalgia -- A Sleep Test Can Help
     

     Fatigue that doesn’t go away is one of the most common fibromyalgia symptoms. In many cases, people with fibromyalgia wake up feeling more tired than when they went to bed. This was the case for one member of WebMD’s fibromyalgia community. She decided to have a sleep study to find out if sleep apne

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