Background & Objectives Worldwide, osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent, chronic joint disease that causes pain, disability and loss of function. Global trends demonstrated an increase of more than 100% in years lived with disability due to OA from 1990 to 2019. However, no nonsurgical intervention exists to prevent, halt or even delay OA progression….
For RA Patients, Functional Disability May Precede Diagnosis
In a study, researchers found rheumatoid arthritis patients experience a persistent burden of functional disability regardless of disease duration, age or gender.
Upper Limb Exercise May Improve Quality of Life for Lupus Patients
A recent study found SLE patients may improve their daily physical function, pain and overall quality of life by adding upper limb exercises to stable treatment regimens and routine care…
Gout & Sexual Function
Pain, physical disability and joint deformity have been linked to sexual dysfunction. New research suggests gout may also significantly affect relationships and intimacy. The study found the physical effects of gout on intimacy, such as joint pain, were the top-ranked concern for gout patients…
Program May Prevent Work Loss for Patients with Rheumatic Diseases
Within 10 years of diagnosis, 23–45% of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease may become unemployed due to disease-related disability. Intervention programs may be necessary to prevent this work loss. New research examined if a vocational rehabilitation program delivered by occupational and physical therapists can benefit this patient population…
Obesity Linked with Disability in RA
(Reuters Health)—Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be more likely to become disabled if they’re obese, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined data on more than 25,000 patients with RA. Most were overweight or obese when they joined the study. Those who were severely obese were more likely to report some disability at baseline. Over…
Menopause Linked with Functional Decline in Rheumatoid Arthritis
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), menopause is associated with both functional decline and an acceleration of that decline, according to a longitudinal study from the U.S. However, several factors involving increased hormonal exposure were associated with less-severe functional decline in women with RA: ever having received hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), ever…
Succession Planning Tips for Rheumatology Practices
Physicians are no more likely than other people to want to think about what happens next. The question of who takes over for a doctor due to death, disability or retirement has legal, medical and personal implications and requires planning to ensure the succession goes smoothly. “Succession planning is like an advance directive for the…
Disease Trends in Hispanic RA Patients in the U.S.
As the Hispanic population has grown in the U.S., very little research has examined the potentially unique clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis in these patients. A new small-scale study of Hispanic patients with RA identified trends in functional disability—showing that disease activity, pain and depression were modifiable parameters over time, with consistent, independent and additive contributions to changes in functional disability across the disease trajectory…
Global Life Expectancy Rises, but People Live Sicker for Longer
LONDON (Reuters)—People around the world are living longer, but many are also living sicker lives for longer, according to a study of all major diseases and injuries in 188 countries. General health has improved worldwide, thanks to significant progress against infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, in the past decade and gains in fighting…