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Search results for: chronic pain

Demonstrators Demand More Money for Arthritis Research—What Could Happen?

Leslie Crofford, MD  |  

I recently came across a fictional publication called the Not Yet Gazette with a front-page story dated November 10, 2025, entitled, “Demonstrators demand more money for arthritis research.” The fictional report gave details of a crowd of 100,000, “many in wheelchairs,” confronting the health secretary of that time. The genesis of this fictional article was the observed trend towards the aging of the population and slow growth in research funding. The article stated that, “ ‘Fiscal constraints caused by slow economic growth and resistance to tax increases have greatly reduced allocations for medical research grants in recent years,’ [the health secretary] told the delegates. ‘Unfortunately, in our current political climate, funding for health research is limited,’ she said to reporters after the meeting. ‘We have to devote our limited resources to diseases that are more immediately life-threatening.’ ”

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

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Systemic lupus erythematosus, often called SLE or lupus, is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, nervous system, and other organs of the body. It is sometimes labeled the “great imitator” because its wide variety of symptoms can often be confused with other disorders. Usually, patients with SLE experience skin rashes and arthritis as well as fatigue and fever, and the disease can be fatal. However, improvements in therapy have significantly increased these patients’ quality of life and their life expectancy.

Patient Fact Sheet: Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, is a chronic disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and limitation in the motion and function of multiple joints. RA is classified as an autoimmune disease, which develops because certain cells of the immune system malfunction and attack healthy joints.