News Related to Arthritis

1. Enbrel Gets "Black Box" Warning
   

   May 1, 2008 -- The arthritis and psoriasis drug Enbrel now has a "black box" warning about the risk of serious infections that may lead to hospitalization or death. Enbrel is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and juvenile idiopathic ar

   Read Full Article
2. Antsy Rheumatoid Arthritis Antidote?
   

   April 24, 2008 -- Will rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis meet their match in a certain type of Chinese ant? The Chinese ant Polyrhacis lamellidens has painkilling and anti-inflammatory properties and is used in Chinese folk medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis, Chinese and Japanese

   Read Full Article
3. Hip and Knee Replacements on the Rise
   

   April 17, 2008 -- The number of hip and knee replacements performed in the U.S. could skyrocket in the next seven years, researchers warn, placing an enormous burden on America's already beleaguered health care system. An increase in obesity and arthritis -- combined with a larger elderly population

   Read Full Article
4. FDA OKs Orencia for Juvenile Arthritis
   

   April 10, 2008 -- Children ages 6 and older living with a moderate to severe form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) have a new treatment option. The FDA approved the drug Orencia for pediatric patients after a large study showed that those who received the medication had significantly fewer sym

   Read Full Article
5. RA Heart Tip: Try Gluten-Free Vegan Diet
   

   March 21, 2008 -- "Gluten-free" vegan diets aren't just for health-food nuts. New research from Sweden shows that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who skip both animal products and certain grains could reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke. RA is a chronic inflammatory disease that

   Read Full Article
6. Studies Back New RA Drug
   

   March 20, 2008 -- Actemra, an experimental biologic drug, shows promise in treating rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (formerly called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or JRA). That news comes from the drug's phase III trials, which test safety and effectiveness.   Biologic drugs,

   Read Full Article
7. Water Aerobics May Ease Fibromyalgia
   

   Feb. 21, 2008 -- Living with fibromyalgia may get better when patients work out in a pool. That's according to new fibromyalgia research from Spain, which reports that water aerobics "enhances the health-related quality of life in women with fibromyalgia." The researchers studied 33 women with fibro

   Read Full Article
8. Marijuana Ingredient May Cut Fibromyalgia Pain
   

   Feb. 19, 2008 -- Nabilone, a pain drug based on marijuana's active ingredient, may ease fibromyalgia pain. So say Canadian researchers, based on a preliminary, short-term study. The study included 40 fibromyalgia patients. First, they did three things: Rate the intensity of their fibromyalgia pain.

   Read Full Article
9. Glucosamine: No Help for Hip Arthritis?
   

   Feb. 18, 2008 -- The popular supplement glucosamine, used by many arthritis sufferers, was found to be no better than placebo pills for relieving the pain of hip osteoarthritis or increasing the ability to do everyday activities, according to a new study from the Netherlands. "In our study, there wa

   Read Full Article
10. 6 New Lupus Genes Found
    

    Jan. 23, 2008 -- Lupus researchers have found six new genes that affect lupus risk -- and they suspect that that's just the tip of the iceberg. "Numerous" genes make systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) -- commonly called lupus -- more likely, and such discoveries may lead to new lupus treatments, the

    Read Full Article