Newest Arthritis Treatment Shows No Cancer Risk According to Study
According to the study conducted on patients who receives anti-tumor necrosis factor agents for the treatment of arthritis found out that only 3 percent have developed a first cancer within nine years and the overall risk for cancer was not dependent on the type of arthritis.
“ The nine year follow-up study conducted at Gentofte University Hospital, Denmark demonstrated that relative risk ((RR)=1.03 (95%confidence interval 0.82-1.30)) was not increased in patients treated with anti-TNFs compared to patients who had never taken anti-TNFs during 23,965 person-years follow-up. Overall cancer risk was not dependent on the type of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n=3,496) (RR=1.05, 95% CI 0.82-1.34), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (n=670) (RR=1.98, 95% CI 0.24-16.18) or other arthritis (n=499) (RR=0.79 95% CI 0.08-8.33).” http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Arthritis-Treatments-Dont-Raise-Cancer-Risk-Study-85590-1.htm
According to Dr. PhD, Lene Dreyer from the Department of Rheumatology at Gentofte University Hospital, some studies recommended taking anti-TNFs to increase the risk of individuals on cancer but the study provides long term evidence that the overall risk for the cancer is not linked with the group of treatments.
TNF is known to be a signalling molecule called as cytokine and inhibits the development of tumors by intruding the signalling of pathways. Hence, the drugs target the TNF in influencing the development of tumors, although the amount of impact to the patient remains unclear.
Study was based on the national Danish DANBIO registry which was started in the year 2000 to observe treatment with biologic medicines in Denmark and contains patients with RA, PsA and ankylosing spondylitis. A national cohort of 13,699 patients was recognized and of these, 5,598 (41 percent) had underway anti-TNF treatment. The data from the DANBIO database was correlated with the Danish Cancer Registry and investigated.
The occurrence of cancer on patients that was treated with anti-TNF agents was match up to patients that was not treated by evaluating the relative risks. Developing cancer risk was not shown to have an increase with time post initiation of therapy for anti-TNF (p=0.51), neither with the duration of the therapy of anti-TNF (p=0.19) and it shown to be independent of the type of anti-TNF agent received (p=0.99). Developing specific cancer risk analysis is still ongoing.
“Separate study shows the risk of mortality is the same with both etanercept (Enbrel) and DMARDs (LB0007)In a further study, data from a large UK observational cohort were analysed to compare mortality rates of 3,431 (71.5%) patients treated with the anti-TNF etanerceptand 1,365 (28.5%) treated with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Results showed that whilst crude mortality rates were lower in the etanercept group at 1.31% versus 2.27%, the difference did not reach statistical significance in the more conservative of the scenarios modelled.”
http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Arthritis-Treatments-Dont-Raise-Cancer-Risk-Study-85590-2.htm
Article source: http://accentedtouch.com/newest-arthritis-treatment-shows-no-cancer-risk-according-to-study/225291/
Arthritis Foundation Appoints Five New Members to National Board of Directors
ATLANTA, Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
The Arthritis Foundation appointed five new members to its national board of directors: Dr. K. Andrew Crighton, Dr. Santiago de Solo, Michael V. Ortman, Tanya Hairston-Whitner, and Kelli L. Thompson. They bring to the Arthritis Foundation their vast experiences in the medical, communications, marketing, association management and legal industries, as well as valuable perspectives from their many years of community service.
The all-volunteer board, comprised of key stakeholders from around the country, acts as the governing body of the organization in its mission to prevent, control and cure arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. In the United States, at least 50 million people live with some form of arthritis.
“We are thrilled to welcome our newest directors, whose experiences in their local communities and dedication to the Arthritis Foundation will be valuable assets to our national board of directors,” said David Shuey, chair of the Arthritis Foundation. “I am confident that the contributions these directors will make at the national level will further our organization’s commitment to helping individuals take control of this disease.” The newly appointed directors are as follows:
K. Andrew Crighton, M.D., is chief medical officer of Prudential Financial in Newark, N.J., and is responsible for global health and safety, while also providing leadership for Prudential’s medical clinics, fitness facilities, employee assistance program, and work life and accommodation programs. He serves as chair of the Health Enhancement Research Organization. A volunteer for the Arthritis Foundation, he is former chair of the Arthritis Foundation New Jersey Chapter. He currently serves on the board of the Arthritis Foundation Northeast Region and also chairs the Human Resource Committee.
Santiago de Solo, M.D., is a rheumatologist at The Center for Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases in Miami, Fla. He is a frequent lecturer at local, national and international institutions regarding all aspects of arthritis. In addition, he volunteers for the Arthritis Foundation Florida Chapter, conducting media interviews and participating in events, including the Miami-Dade Arthritis Walk.
Tanya Hairston-Whitner is general counsel for Concessions International, LLC, in Atlanta, Ga. Hairston-Whitner has held leadership positions throughout her career, while also serving as chair of the board of the Center for Black Women’s Wellness.
Michael V. Ortman is vice president of content strategy and operations for Comcast Cable Communications, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. He is a highly respected executive in the telecommunications industry, and brings more than 30 years of marketing and media experience to the board. For more than 10 years he has been a key fundraiser and volunteer leader for the Arthritis Foundation in his home state of Maryland, and now chairs the Foundation’s Mid-Atlantic Region Board.
Kelli L. Thompson is a shareholder in the Knoxville office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell Berkowitz, PC. Thompson has received numerous accolades for her pro bono work, and has been named to several top attorney lists such as The Best Lawyers in America and Mid-South Super Lawyers for her franchise, business litigation and employment work. She also serves as a member of the board of directors of the Arthritis Foundation, Southeast Region and has held numerous leadership roles with the East Tennessee Advisory Council of the Arthritis Foundation.
About the Arthritis FoundationStriking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (
www.arthritis.org ) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the unacceptable impact of this serious and painful disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.
SOURCE Arthritis Foundation
Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
Many with arthritis don’t exercise – but it helps
los angeles times
January 27, 2012 04:00 AM
Copyright los angeles times. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Friday, January 27, 2012
2 in 5 Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Sedentary
2 in 5 Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Sedentary
Jan. 26, 2012 — More than 40% of U.S. adults with rheumatoid arthritis get no exercise, according to a study published in the journal Arthritis Care Research.
RA, which affects 1.3 million adults, is a painful condition that causes joints to be swollen, stiff, and damaged. Inactivity puts RA patients at risk of increased pain, weakened muscles, poor balance, and stiffened joints. But many people with RA lack the motivation to exercise — or don’t know that exercise may help them feel better.
For the study, researchers at Northwestern University recruited 176 RA patients ranging in age from 23 to 86. Most of the participants were white, college-educated women over 50 who had had the disease for an average of 13.5 years.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Exercises Slideshow: Joint-Friendly Fitness Routines
Measuring Activity Spikes
All of the study participants were given an accelerometer, a device that measures the intensity of physical activity. For one week, each participant strapped it to his or her belt first thing in the morning and left it on until bedtime.
The devices can’t distinguish between different activities — running vs. climbing stairs, for example. Instead, they provide data on when and how long a wearer increases the pace of movement. The researchers looked for spikes in activity that lasted for at least 10 minutes at a time, because that kind of sustained movement indicates moderate to vigorous exercise.
Of the 176 participants, about 2 in 5 logged no upticks in activity at all. According to researcher Jungwha Lee, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, few of the other participants did much better.
“Only about 12% of the group met the recommended fitness guidelines of 150 minutes per week,” Lee says.
Minimal Movement
Lee says the overall results were expected, but not the extent of complete inactivity. “We had a sense that they were very inactive,” she says. “But we were so surprised that these people were just sitting and doing nothing.”
However, the study’s primary finding — the reasons for the lack of exercise — is potentially positive. Nearly two-thirds of the inactivity that Lee and her colleagues measured can be explained by modifiable risk factors.
Of the risk factors measured, two stood out: a lack of motivation to exercise, and a lack of awareness that exercise can protect joints and ease pain. In other words, for most RA patients, the only thing standing in the way of working out — and thereby improving their health — may be attitude.
That’s what Lee is studying right now. She’s trying to determine whether group- and web-based individual educational sessions can help change RA patients’ behavior.
Patient Education Crucial
Lee would like health-care professionals to spend more time encouraging RA patients to exercise. Through the early 1980s, doctors advised their patients to rest rather than get active, the study authors write. Since then, it’s become clear that that is not good advice.
“That message has not been spread effectively,” Lee says.
Rheumatologist Cong-Qiu Chu, MD, PhD, agrees that patient education is essential because many patients are afraid to exercise. They believe that the strain may make them feel worse. In his practice, however, Chu has found that patients who are informed about the benefits of exercise become motivated to get active.
“Most patients are motivated to be functional — they just don’t have the knowledge that it is good for them,” says Chu, who directs the Early Arthritis Clinic at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
How much exercise a person is capable of must be determined on an individual basis, but Lee advises following the latest federal guidelines, which recommend 150 minutes of moderately intense activity each week for adults.
“We’re not encouraging our patients to do anything overly vigorous,” she says. “Water aerobics or 10 minutes of walking briskly, as if late for a meeting, are good exercises.”
Article source: http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20120125/2-in-5-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients-sedentary
Dealing with arthritis in cold weather
PEQUANNOCK — Achy, stiff joints seem to rule during colder weather for arthritis sufferers, and while the pain is consistent over time, health professionals agree that patients say it feels worse during the winter.
“There’s no scientific reason or proof that the cold makes arthritis worse,” said Dr. Anil Kapoor, an affiliated practicing rheumatologist at Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains. “But people move to tropical climates and feel better.”
Peggy Lotkowictz, vice president of Mission Delivery for the New Jersey Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, agrees that the cold weather has nothing to do with how sore people with arthritis feel during the winter.
“It’s in our heads,” Lotkowictz said. “It’s more what we do because of the cold.”
When it’s cold, Lotkowictz, who suffers from arthritis herself, said people become very guarded because their bodies get cold.
“They shiver, they tighten up their muscles, and they don’t exercise as much,” she said. “They stay inside and become guarded, all the while losing their range of motion. But, the cold itself, in general, does not make arthritis worse.”
There are over 100 types of arthritis, says Lotkowictz, but the most common types we hear about include, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA), also called osteoarthroses or degenerative joint disease, is defined through the Arthritis Foundation at Arthritis.org.
“OA is a chronic condition characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage,” according to Arthritis.org. “The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint.”
“Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease, mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining, or synovium, of the joints. It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and disability,” states Arthritis.org.
Kapoor says he sees patients whose joints “freeze up and feel achy” during the winter. “We don’t know why, but aches and pains go away with nice weather.”
Dr. Ali Mazandarani, who runs a pain clinic in Midland Park, says there are various things he recommends to make arthritis sufferers more comfortable, including wearing layers of clothing to keep the heat, thermal underclothing being ideal.
“Try to keep the moisture level of your house or place of work the same,” said Mazandarani. “This could be easily done by using a dehumidifier.”
There is no cure-all, as Kapoor says, but the most important remedy is an active lifestyle. The doctor suggests maintaining an active lifestyle through walking, yoga and aquatic workouts in a heated pool. But, when there is acute pain and swelling, he suggests waiting. Do as much as you can without too much discomfort, because it’s often worse not to move at all.
“Everyday exercise helps pain and develops muscles,” said Kapoor. “It helps to inspire that general feeling of well being.”
Article source: http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/138101968_Dealing_with_arthritis_in_the_cold.html
Dealing with arthritis in cold weather
PEQUANNOCK — Achy, stiff joints seem to rule during colder weather for arthritis sufferers, and while the pain is consistent over time, health professionals agree that patients say it feels worse during the winter.
“There’s no scientific reason or proof that the cold makes arthritis worse,” said Dr. Anil Kapoor, an affiliated practicing rheumatologist at Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains. “But people move to tropical climates and feel better.”
Peggy Lotkowictz, vice president of Mission Delivery for the New Jersey Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, agrees that the cold weather has nothing to do with how sore people with arthritis feel during the winter.
“It’s in our heads,” Lotkowictz said. “It’s more what we do because of the cold.”
When it’s cold, Lotkowictz, who suffers from arthritis herself, said people become very guarded because their bodies get cold.
“They shiver, they tighten up their muscles, and they don’t exercise as much,” she said. “They stay inside and become guarded, all the while losing their range of motion. But, the cold itself, in general, does not make arthritis worse.”
There are over 100 types of arthritis, says Lotkowictz, but the most common types we hear about include, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA), also called osteoarthroses or degenerative joint disease, is defined through the Arthritis Foundation at Arthritis.org.
“OA is a chronic condition characterized by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage,” according to Arthritis.org. “The breakdown of cartilage causes the bones to rub against each other, causing stiffness, pain and loss of movement in the joint.”
“Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease, mainly characterized by inflammation of the lining, or synovium, of the joints. It can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function and disability,” states Arthritis.org.
Kapoor says he sees patients whose joints “freeze up and feel achy” during the winter. “We don’t know why, but aches and pains go away with nice weather.”
Dr. Ali Mazandarani, who runs a pain clinic in Midland Park, says there are various things he recommends to make arthritis sufferers more comfortable, including wearing layers of clothing to keep the heat, thermal underclothing being ideal.
“Try to keep the moisture level of your house or place of work the same,” said Mazandarani. “This could be easily done by using a dehumidifier.”
There is no cure-all, as Kapoor says, but the most important remedy is an active lifestyle. The doctor suggests maintaining an active lifestyle through walking, yoga and aquatic workouts in a heated pool. But, when there is acute pain and swelling, he suggests waiting. Do as much as you can without too much discomfort, because it’s often worse not to move at all.
“Everyday exercise helps pain and develops muscles,” said Kapoor. “It helps to inspire that general feeling of well being.”
Article source: http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/138101968_Dealing_with_arthritis_in_the_cold.html