Conditions

Subcategories:Axial Spondyloarthritis Clinical Criteria/Guidelines Gout and Crystalline Arthritis Myositis Osteoarthritis and Bone Disorders Other Rheumatic Conditions Pain Syndromes Pediatric Conditions Psoriatic Arthritis Rheumatoid Arthritis Sjögren’s Disease Soft Tissue Pain Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Systemic Sclerosis Vasculitis

Medical Cannabis Helps Chronic Pain Patients Cut Opioid Use

Anne Harding | March 30, 2016

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Medical cannabis reduces chronic pain patients’ opioid use, while improving their quality of life, according to a new survey of Michigan cannabis dispensary patrons. “They report that when they make that switch they overall feel better,” Dr. Daniel J. Clauw of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, told Reuters Health in a…

Abaloparatide Effective for Osteoporosis & XmAb5871 Studied to Treat SLE

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | March 30, 2016

Abaloparatide has completed clinical trials, which showed the treatment to be safe and effective in reducing fracture rates in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Also, XmAb5871 is being studied to treat systemic lupus erythematosus and doesn’t destroy B cells…

Mediterranean Diet Tied to Lower Hip Fracture Risk

Andrew M. Seaman | March 29, 2016

(Reuters Health)—Women who maintain an overall healthy diet may benefit from a slightly reduced risk of hip fractures later in life, according to a new U.S. study. Women who followed a Mediterranean-style diet were about three tenths of a percent less likely to break a hip over about 16 years, compared to women who didn’t…

Wise Transitions: Improving Pediatric–Adult Care

Arthritis & Rheumatology | March 29, 2016

Transitions in medical care can be high-risk periods due to the loss of continuity in care and worsening of medical conditions. Approximately one-quarter of the estimated 18 million adolescents aged 18–21 years in the U.S. have chronic conditions, including rheumatic diseases. Interventions in rheumatology practice can improve transition processes. Transition-readiness assessment tools and transition-satisfaction scales are available for use in rheumatology transition processes…

Researchers Find the Switch that Underlies Macrophage Metabolism

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | March 28, 2016

During pro-inflammatory stimulation, a recent study found HIF1α—not Myc—is required for the regulation of glycolysis in macrophages. Researchers examined macrophages and the distinct transcriptional programs engaged in response to mitogenic and pro-inflammatory stimulation…

Mind-Body Therapy Helps Ease Chronic Low Back Pain

Andrew M. Seaman | March 26, 2016

(Reuters Health)—Mind-based therapy programs may help ease chronic back pain, new research suggests. Patients who took part in such programs were more likely to have noticeable and lasting improvements in back pain than those who stuck to their usual routines, investigators found. Both of the approaches tested in the study—mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive…

Combination Therapy Bests Monotherapy in Severe Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Rita Buckley | March 25, 2016

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The combination of denosumab and teriparatide improves bone microarchitecture and estimated strength more than either drug alone in women with severe postmenopausal osteoporosis, researchers have found. Dr. Joy Tsai, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues conducted a single-site, two-year, open-label, randomized controlled trial involving 94 women aged 45 or older…

Knowledge of Genetic Risk Doesn’t Prompt Behavior Changes

Kathryn Doyle | March 23, 2016

(Reuters Health)—Telling patients about their genetic risk for disease doesn’t usually lead to healthy behavior changes, such as eating better or exercising more, according to a new analysis of existing studies. Researchers selected 18 studies that tracked seven potential behavior changes—such as quitting smoking, diet, physical activity and using sun protection—among people who had received…

Fibromyalgia & Bipolar Spectrum Disorder: A Shared Pathophysiology May Lead to Better Drug Targets

Lara C. Pullen, PhD | March 21, 2016

Patients suffering from fibromyalgia and those suffering from bipolar spectrum disorder experience similar symptoms. Research suggests that these diseases may share a pathophysiological process, particularly a similar impairment in the prefrontal-limbic networks of the brain. A new editorial addresses how a better understanding of the potential shared biological underpinning of these diseases could result in unique drug targets…

U.S. Agency Issues New Guidelines to Limit Chronic Use of Opioids

Ransdell Pierson | March 18, 2016

(Reuters)—Addressing a growing “epidemic” of opioid overdoses and abuse of the prescribed painkillers in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday released voluntary guidelines that instruct primary care doctors to sharply deter use of the medicines for chronic pain. “Overprescribing opioids, largely for chronic pain, is a key driver of America’s…