Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Latest Arthritis & Rheumatology News and Research

Genetic link between rheumatoid arthritis and the X chromosome

Researchers have pieced together new genetic clues to the arthritis puzzle in a study that brings potential treatments closer to reality and could also provide insights into why more women than men succumb to the disabling condition.

15 Nov 2012

Feinstein seeks NDA approval for Fluorodopa F 18 PET scan to diagnose parkinsonian syndromes

The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research announced today the submission of a New Drug Application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Fluorodopa F 18 positron emission tomography (PET) scan used to diagnose parkinsonian syndromes.

15 Nov 2012

Female athletes more likely to suffer serious ACL knee injuries than males

Female athletes are far more likely than males to suffer serious ACL knee injuries.

15 Nov 2012

Exposure to uranium may increase lupus rates

People living near a former uranium ore processing facility in Ohio are experiencing a higher than average rate of lupus, according a new study conducted by scientists at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

14 Nov 2012

Neuroticism can be good for health under certain circumstances

Under certain circumstances neuroticism can be good for your health, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study showing that some self-described neurotics also tended to have the lowest levels of Interleukin 6 (IL-6), a biomarker for inflammation and chronic disease.

14 Nov 2012

TRILOGY-ACS platelet function substudy results revealed

The platelet function substudy of the TRILOGY-ACS trial shows that there is no significant difference between prasugrel and clopidogrel in cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke outcomes.

12 Nov 2012

Gout diagnosis possible for rheumatoid arthritis patients

Rheumatoid arthritis patients can develop gout, say researchers who believe changes in treatment and obesity may explain why the comorbidity is now occurring.

12 Nov 2012

Calcium intake does not increase risk of coronary artery calcification

Researchers at the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS), have published a study that shows no evidence of a link between calcium intake and coronary artery calcification, reassuring adults who take calcium supplements for bone health that the supplements do not appear to result in the development of calcification of blood vessels.

8 Nov 2012

Treatment with AMG 145 reduces LDL cholesterol

Amgen today announced that results from the LAPLACE-TIMI 57 and MENDEL Phase 2 studies evaluating AMG 145 in hypercholesterolemic patients with or without statins, respectively, showed that treatment with AMG 145 resulted in a statistically significant reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

7 Nov 2012

Lexicon announces data from LX4211 Phase 2b trial on type 2 diabetes

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that data from the Phase 2b clinical trial of LX4211 are being presented today as a Clinical Sciences Special Report in the Emerging Therapeutics for Diabetes and Dyslipidemia section of the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions Conference held in Los Angeles, California.

7 Nov 2012

Low vitamin D levels mediate racial disparities in pain

A new study reveals that black Americans display lower levels of vitamin D and greater pain sensitivity compared to white Americans. Findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), indicate that vitamin D deficiency may be one of many factors that account for increased pain in older black Americans with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

7 Nov 2012

FDA approves Pfizer’s XELJANZ to treat rheumatoid arthritis

Pfizer Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for XELJANZ (tofacitinib citrate) 5 mg twice daily for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to methotrexate.

6 Nov 2012

Pfizer receives FDA approval for Xeljanz to treat rheumatoid arthritis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xeljanz (tofacitinib) to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to, or who are intolerant of, methotrexate.

6 Nov 2012

Lupus may carry pregnancy complication risk

US researchers report that women with systemic lupus erythematosus have a twofold higher risk for developing preeclampsia than women without an autoimmune disease.

6 Nov 2012

Traditional CV risk factors linked to peripheral artery disease

Smoking, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia are significantly associated with the risk for clinically significant peripheral artery disease in men, with each additional factor doubling the risk, conclude US and Dutch researchers.

6 Nov 2012

Overweight, smoking add to rheumatoid arthritis risk

Lifestyle changes could reduce the risk for rheumatoid arthritis in patients predisposed to the condition, Dutch researchers suggest.

5 Nov 2012

Anti-TNF-α therapy reduces CVD risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis exhibit a sub-clinical vasculitis that may underlie their increased risk for cardiovascular disease, shows research.

5 Nov 2012

Traditional CV risk factors linked to peripheral artery disease

5 Nov 2012

Data from four Phase 2 trials of AMG 145 to be presented at AHA Scientific Sessions 2012

Amgen will present data from four Phase 2 trials of AMG 145, an investigational fully human monoclonal antibody directed against PCSK9, a protein that reduces the liver's ability to remove low density lipoprotein cholesterol, or "bad" cholesterol from the blood, at the upcoming American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2012.

3 Nov 2012

People's reactions to stressors determine health consequences, say Penn State researchers

Contrary to popular perception, stressors don't cause health problems -- it's people's reactions to the stressors that determine whether they will suffer health consequences, according to researchers at Penn State.

3 Nov 2012