October 20, 2020

1 in 3 Americans With Arthritis Say Pain, Symptoms Persist

TUESDAY, Oct. 20, 2020 -- About 30 million U.S. adults live with osteoarthritis and the pain and stiffness it causes, a new survey finds.

And nearly one-third of these people said their symptoms are not well-managed, according to the Arthritis Foundation survey of almost 2,000 adults. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage cushioning the joints gradually wears down, leading to swelling, and limiting a person's abilities to do the activities they want and need to do every day.

October 19, 2020

Newer Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug May Help Ease Tough-to-Treat Cases

MONDAY, Oct. 19, 2020 -- A recently approved rheumatoid arthritis medication appears to be an effective second-line therapy when biologic treatments start to fail, a new clinical trial reports.

Arthritis sufferers treated with upadacitinib had a significantly greater reduction in their symptoms and disease activity than people treated with a standard disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD), said co-researcher Dr. Aileen Pangan. She is executive medical director of immunology clinical development for the pharmaceutical company AbbVie in North Chicago, Ill.

September 15, 2020

Early Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis May Thwart Heart Disease

TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2020 -- Starting drug treatment early in rheumatoid arthritis patients may reduce their risk of heart disease, a new study suggests.

Rheumatoid arthritis at least doubles the risk of heart disease due to its links with atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), heart failure and stroke.

September 15, 2020

Is Arthritis Pain Relief as Close as Your Spice Rack?

MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2020 -- It's a must for any good curry, and a new clinical trial suggests that turmeric might ease arthritis pain, too.

Researchers found that an extract of the spice turmeric worked better than a placebo in easing pain from knee arthritis over three months. The treatment was not a home run -- but the pain relief was a bit better than past studies have found with standard medication.

September 8, 2020

COVID-19 Ills No Greater for Those With Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis

FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2020 -- People with lupus aren't at increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 due to steroidal medications they take to reduce immune system activity, a new study finds.

And a related study found that people with inflammatory forms of arthritis -- such as rheumatoid arthritis -- aren't more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people without arthritis.