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GREEN BAY, Wisc. (WBAY) An update on a group of elderly women, some in their 90s, who learned in January their long-time arthritis exercise class through St. Mary's Hospital fell victim to budget cuts.

A new location is now offering them the chance to forget about their aches and pains.

Their exercises mirror their range of emotions since the moment the women wondered if they would ever be together again.

"We had no indication this was going to happen, it was a complete shock," says Diane Zimmer from Green Bay.

"It was a horrible thought, I thought what am I going to do because it has helped me, I have an arm and shoulder problem," adds Angeline Haferman, 95, from Green Bay.

"What do we do now, we need this exercise, we want to stay together," recalls Zimmer.

Determination to find a new home for their decades-old exercise class, a lot of phone calls and plenty of visits around town led the group to the 9th Street Wellness Center.

After just a few classes, owner Karen Stoehr realized she was hosting a sisterhood.

"They get along together, they take care of each other, they help each other and they've having a quality of life," says Stoehr.

"It's mostly something to look forward to doing because at our age we don't have any friends left, people we used to golf and bowl with, they're just not around any more," says Dotty Reeners from Hobart, who turns 90 next month.

The women are again cherishing their time together, exercising and socializing every Tuesday and Thursday morning.

"They're here and they're going through with either their walkers or canes, doesn't make any difference, they're here rain or shine," says Stoehr.

"We always felt like we're family and here we're living it up again," adds Reeners.

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Arthritis class finding a new home - WBAY

By Mayo Clinic News Network

Joint protection is a proven strategy to help you manage rheumatoid arthritis pain and perform daily activities more easily.

Arthritic joints can't tolerate as much stress as healthy joints. Pushing, pulling or twisting motions can be painful. Think about ways you can avoid unnecessarily stressing your joints.

Don't be tempted to work through your rheumatoid arthritis pain. You might make the pain worse and increase your risk of developing joint deformities.

If an activity causes joint pain, change the way you do that activity. Continuing the activity despite pain can damage your joint. Forgoing the activity altogether can lead to joint stiffness through lack of use.

As a general guideline, if pain persists for one hour after you do an activity, consider changing how you do it. For example:

Large joints are stronger than small ones. Save your smaller, weaker joints for the specific jobs that only they can accomplish, and favor large joints when possible.

For example:

Spare your fingers as much work as possible. Try to:

If you position yourself correctly and use the muscles best suited to a task, you can minimize the stress on your joints.

Proper body mechanics allow you to use your body more efficiently. Try to:

Arranging your work area wisely also can make a big difference:

Don't give your joints the chance to become stiff -- keep them moving. Try these tips:

Organizing your time and tasks can help eliminate steps that strain your joints. Try to:

Excess weight puts a strain on your body, especially your lower back, hips, knees and ankles. Losing weight can help decrease your pain and increase your energy.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/in-depth/arthritis/art-20047954

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Rheumatoid arthritis and tips for protecting your joints - Channel3000.com - WISC-TV3

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Methotrexate is a drug taken, often over long periods of time, to limit or prevent joint damage and disability.

People who take methotrexate are often advised to abstain from alcohol as both methotrexate and alcohol are known to increase the risks of liver damage.

However, it is not known whether drinking modest amounts of alcohol is safe during methotrexate therapy.

The new study by The University of Manchester has looked at the medical records of almost 12,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis taking the drug who had a record of the levels of alcohol they drank and who had routine blood monitoring test results.

The researchers found that increased use of alcohol did indeed correspond to increased liver damage, but at 14 units or fewer there was no heightened risk.

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We know that methotrexate can be an effective drug for treating arthritis, said Dr Natalie Carter, head of Research Liaison and Evaluation at Arthritis Research UK.

As it can interact with other medicines and alcohol it is important that people with arthritis have information about their medication in order to manage their arthritis safely and effectively.

Arthritis Research UK invests in exceptional science to find treatments and information that let people push back the limits these conditions cause.

This research adds to the knowledge we have around methotrexate and its effects in people with rheumatoid arthritis, which can help people make informed decisions about their treatment.

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We know that methotrexate can be an effective drug for treating arthritis

Dr Natalie Carter

We would recommend that people who take methotrexate to speak to their rheumatologist for advice about drinking alcohol whilst on this drug.

What is rheumatoid arthritis?

Dr Jenny Humphreys, an NIHR Clinical Lecturer at The University of Manchesters Arthritis Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, led the study.

She said: In the past theres not been clear guidance on what effects different amounts of alcohol have on these people, so doctors often err on the side of caution and recommend abstinence.

As a result, some people choose to decline methotrexate so they can continue to enjoy a drink, thereby missing out on the possible benefits of the medication.

Alternatively, some people may go totally without alcohol after starting methotrexate: if they like to drink in moderation, the quality of their life may be affected.

With a pint of 5.2 per cent ABV beer containing three units and a 250ml glass of 14 per cent ABV wine containing 3.5, the findings show that people can drink in moderation, while still benefitting from the drug.

The data used in the study came from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, a UK general practice database.

The researchers identified 11,839 people with rheumatoid arthritis who were taking methotrexate and had at least six liver function test results per year. Of these, 530 developed abnormal liver function tests.

Although there was no increased risk associated with drinking 14 units or less compared to people who drank no alcohol, people who drank 15-21 units had a 33 per cent increased probability of liver damage and this rose to 81 per cent in the group that drank more than 21 units.

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Professor Will Dixon, Director of the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Epidemiology at The University of Manchester, believes that the results can provide important guidance for doctors who are prescribing methotrexate.

He added: This is the first study to provide estimates of risk of liver damage for different levels of alcohol consumption in this drug.

It also quantifies the risk for doctors so they can be clear about the extent to which different levels of alcohol will cause problems across a population of patients taking methotrexate.

The research was published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases and funded by Arthritis Research UK.

See more here:
Rheumatoid arthritis: Taking THIS drug with too much alcohol could be dangerous cocktail - Express.co.uk

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Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced that Xeljanz, also called tofacitinib citrate - a new twice daily oral tablet to reduce inflammation in adults with rheumatoid arthritis, has been granted a license for UK use.

It can also be used as a therapy in case of intolerance to methotrexate or when treatment with methotrexate is inappropriate.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious and disabling autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue.

It affects more than 690,000 people in the UK, of which over 500,000 are women and around three-quarters are of working age.

People with rheumatoid arthritis experience a range of symptoms, including pain and swelling in the joints, tiredness and depression which can affect their daily lives, from their ability to do basic everyday tasks like buttoning a shirt,to the possibility of having to stop work as a result of their condition.

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The prognosis for people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis has been completely transfor

Alisa Bosworth

Though different treatments are available, there are still some people who may not respond to existing therapies or are intolerant to them.

Tofacitinib citrate belongs to a new class of medications known as JAK inhibitors.

JAK inhibitors directly target the signalling pathway which contributes to the inflammation of joints seen in the condition.

The prognosis for people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis has been completely transformed over the past two decades, said Ailsa Bosworth, founder and chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society.

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But not every patient responds to their treatment and people can still experience significant limitations to what they can do and achieve because of their condition so, in spite of fantastic progress in rheumatology, there remains a need for different treatments.

We therefore welcome any innovative new advances that can offer additional options, she added.

Tofacitinib citrate was the first of these types of inhibitors to be licensed for rheumatoid arthritis in the US and is currently licensed in over 50 countries.

It has been prescribed to more than 55,000 patients worldwide.

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There have been 19 clinical trials to date and Pfizer said it has collected eight years of safety data on the medicine.

Studies have demonstrated that tofacitinib citrate is an effective treatment option for rheumatoid arthritis.

The most common side-effects are upper respiratory tract infections, headaches, diarrhoea and nasopharyngitis.

Dr Berkeley Phillips, Pfizer UKs Medical Director, said: This medicine, which has a novel mode of action, has been two decades in the making.

The granting of marketing authorisation for tofacitinib citrate in Europe marks a huge step towards making this treatment available to patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the UK. Pfizer will now work with national reimbursement agencies on the review process towards the potential reimbursement of this new medicine on the NHS."

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New drug could fight symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis - including joint pain and swelling - Express.co.uk

Dealing with arthritis and how that can lead to joint replacements was the topic of the Talking Health radio interview on News Radio 1240 KQEN last week.

Talk show host Lisa Platt interviewed Candice Spence, a registered nurse at New Strides Joint Center, Dr. Cary Sanders, an orthopedic surgeon at Centennial Orthopedics, and Melissa Russell, a physical therapist at Mercy Medical Center.

The following is an edited version of the interview.

Lisa: Candice, what is arthritis?

Candice: Arthritis is not really a single disease or a single diagnosis. Its rather a symptom of a joint disease causing pain, stiffness, swelling and often times decreased range and mobility.

Lisa: What are the most common types of arthritis?

Candice: There are over a hundred types, and the most common being osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative disease causing the cartilage between the joints to wear away.

Lisa: How does someone know if they have arthritis? Are there some symptoms?

Candice: Theres pain, stiffness, swelling and decreased mobility, but you really need to have it diagnosed by a physician. You might possibly need some lab work, blood draw or imaging studies.

It is more prevalent in women than men, middle-aged with progression of the aches and pains with age.

Lisa: What are some of the options to treat arthritis?

Candice: Some of the options are anti-inflamatories, lots of low-impact exercising like walking, cycling, waterobics, and just keep that joint moving and strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint, injections provided by orthopedic surgeons, and hot and cold compresses. When all else fails there are assisted devices such as walkers, canes, crutches.

Cary: I think finding a non-operative, non-surgical treatment is a real important part because surgery is always a last resort, and I think there is a lot of value to putting that off as long as you can.

The injections are basically two types. One is a corticosteroid medication. They are powerful anti-inflamatory medications that we inject right into the knee, and they basically just cool everything down and make things feel better. Its not a permanent solution to the knee, but very often they can last a few months and several months in some cases, but theyre really good at quieting down a bad flare-up.

The second kind of injection is a hyaluronic acid, which is a substrative cartilage, and is part of the surface coating of normal cartilage and its purified and injected into the knee and it acts as a lubricating mechanism where it essentially optimizes the cartilage that you have left in your knee.

If you are someone who has a little cartilage left, but not much, its going to help you more than someone who is way advanced with bone changes and with cartilage being long gone.

Lisa: Melissa, from a physical therapists standpoint is exercise important in treating arthritis?

Melissa: Exercise does play a big impact. Any time youre strengthening the muscles around the joint, getting those muscles stretched, pulling the bones apart a little, giving the joint space a little bit more room, and overall strengthening is good.

Low-impact activities, swimming, cycling, walking, are good and I tell folks to do as much as you can, as long as you are within your tolerance, and that really helps delay getting a joint replacement.

Lisa: Can you talk about some of the surgeries and the physicians available to do the surgeries?

Cary: Basically, were looking at a scope operation, which we do on occasion, in the setting of arthritis. But more often than not, if its just arthritis pain, then were talking about joint replacement. The reason total joint replacement is often selected, is that its track record is pretty tough to beat. When you look at it and compare it to other lesser, like the scope, or other non-surgical treatments, it really beats all of them pretty easily.

As a surgeon, I try to let the patient be in the drivers seat. I feel my job is to inform them of what their options are and talk about the risks and benefits of each, and let them decide what feels right for them.

Its always important to remember that not everybody is a candidate for total joint replacement. Some peoples health is just too poor for this operation.

Lisa: Lets talk about the new program at Mercy, for patients who might need a joint replacement.

Candice: We use the Marshal Steele program, but we call it New Strides. It starts in the surgeons office where they optimize the patient, and between the two of them theyve decided to have this elective joint replacement done. Then they do a pre-op class where they get all the education they need as far as what to expect during their stay at the hospital and what we expect for them with recovery, physical therapy, in-patient and out-patient. We do home environment screening so we assess the home and make sure they have proper equipment.

Once they decide, yes this is what they want to do and they go through that class, theyre scheduled for surgery.

Lisa: Melissa, can you tell us how physical therapy plays a big role in this program?

Melissa: Some folks will have outpatient therapy, kind of preparing them for surgery and getting folks stronger. We get them educated on setting up their home for success and preparing their bodies for success. We encourage them to do the pre-op exercises to get the muscles around the joint stronger, and to learn those exercises theyll be doing after surgery.

So after surgery, we implement the same things that we tell them in the pre-op. We get folks up the day of surgery; its not uncommon for folks to be walking in the hall working on getting a nice normal walking pattern again. Were teaching them exercises and stretches to do with their hips and knees so after they have their surgery, we see them twice a day in group sessions. They also see occupational therapy to work on self-care tasks.

With all the focus on identifying what we can improve and we making those improvements, that really has decreased our length of stay from three to five days; now its one to two days. So with this group therapy, its an early mobility, rapid recovery program, and putting all these pieces together is beneficial as a recovery process to the patient.

Link:
Arthritis can lead to joint replacement - NRToday.com

Deb Constien was 13 when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects joints and sometimes blood vessels and vital organs.

Despite having the sometimes debilitating condition, for which she takes about 10 medications, Constien graduated from college, got married and with husband Tim had a son, Jacob, now 18.

Constien, 47, is active with the Arthritis Foundation. She is board chair and advocacy chair for the organizations upper Midwest region, based in Madison. She went to Washington, D.C., this month to advocate for people with arthritis. Through Arthritis Introspective, she leads a support group in Madison.

The Sun Prairie resident also volunteers with the groups CreakyJoints, Global Healthy Living Foundation and International Foundation for Autoimmune Arthritis.

How were you diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age 13?

I went in for benign foot surgery, to remove a bunion, as a freshman in high school, and my life changed overnight. My surgery was a trigger (for the rheumatoid arthritis). Its one of the theories, and it fits. Everything swelled up. I got hit with a level of pain I had never experienced before. Everything hurt. My knees blew up like big balloons. I couldnt squat down. My fingers were swollen. My hips hurt.

I had been a very active 13-year-old. I was on the swim team. I played the flute. Most of that came to a crashing halt. My friends would ask me to do things, but I was so fatigued, I often said no. Then they stopped asking. You feel isolated. Nowadays, there are camps, like Camp MASH (Make Arthritis Stop Hurting) in the Wisconsin Dells.

What was it like to raise your son with your condition?

It was hard. I had to be protective of my joints. I had a hard time changing him. I couldnt pull a onesie off of him. My shoulders wouldnt allow that. I had to lay him down and wrestle with him. We tried for a second child, which meant being off most of my medications. But I wasnt very healthy. My rheumatologist said I needed to go back on my meds. He said I wasnt healthy enough to get pregnant again. We thought we might adopt a second child. But as my disease progressed, the thought of that became overwhelming.

What activities are difficult and what activities can you do?

I never run. I dont do stairs if I dont have to. Sometimes its hard to sleep. Its my shoulders, my hips. Im constantly rotating and trying to find comfortable positions. I garden, but my husband helps me maintain my garden. He does the tilling and a lot of the weeding. With housework, I do it until I reach my wall and Im done. My husband will finish the laundry and put everything away. I love to cook. I plan ahead and make double when Im feeling good, and I keep emergency meals in the freezer for the bad times.

What do people misunderstand most about arthritis?

They think its only an old persons disease. Its an invisible disease. When you look at me, you wouldnt guess that I have severe arthritis until you look at my hands. Growing up, I liked that. Now, some people try to offer advice. They say I just need to exercise more or get more fresh air. It gets frustrating.

What did you do in Washington, D.C., this month?

I went with two other people, from La Crosse and Milwaukee. We met with staff of both Wisconsin senators and our three representatives. We had three asks from the Arthritis Foundation: to join our caucus and become more educated about arthritis; to support a bill that would dedicate $20 million from the Department of Defense for arthritis research; and to protect several pieces of the Affordable Care Act.

Interview by David Wahlberg

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Know Your Madisonian: Advocate seeks to help others with arthritis - Madison.com

Dr. Richard Meredick will give a free talk about Living with Arthritis, Thursday, March 30, 6:30 p.m. at Northern Inyo Healthcare Districts Birch Street Annex, 2957 Birch St., Bishop.

Dr. Meredick, a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, will discuss the causes of arthritis as it is seen in active populations such as ours. Learn about the signs, symptoms and popular treatment options to reduce pain and discomfort.

The 2017 Healthy Lifestyle Talks series is presented by Northern Inyo Healthcare District. Dr. Meredick specializes in Sports Medicine/Arthroscopy, and Joint Preservation.

About Northern Inyo Healthcare District: Founded in 1946, Northern Inyo Healthcare District features a 25-bed critical access hospital, a 24-hour emergency department, a primary care rural health clinic, a diagnostic imaging center, and clinics specializing in womens health, orthopedics and neurology, pediatrics and allergies and general surgery. Continually striving to improve the health outcomes of those who rely on its services, Northern Inyo Healthcare District aims to improve our communities one life at a time. One team, one goal, your health.

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NIHD talk Thursday on 'Living with Arthritis' - Sierra Wave

Home Anti-Aging Arthritis Early arthritis symptoms you should know

Having arthritis pain can be quite a nuisance. It hampers our day, making the most mundane takes difficult and subjecting us to unnecessary agony. But the pain associated with arthritis isnt the only symptom people have to endure.

In a lot of cases, people notice other things showing up before they ever have pain, says Kevin Shea, an orthopedic surgeon at St. Lukes Health System in Boise.

While arthritis may be seen as one entity, there are actually hundreds of different types, and each person diagnosed with the condition may present with an entirely different constellation of symptoms from the next, making each case unique.

Being aware of the symptoms arthritis sufferers may present allows you and your doctor to possibly slow down its progression. Early detection can allow for the use of anti-inflammatory medication or certain lifestyle changes to help preserve normal functioning. The following are a list of non-pain-related symptoms that are associated with arthritis to keep a look out for.

Stiffness: Arthritis often manifests as joint stiffness. You try to bend or straighten the joint, and it feels tight or full, Shea says. It may also be hard to move to one side. Stiffness tends to be worse early in the day, getting better as the day goes on.

Swelling: This symptom can be appreciated by comparing two joints side by side: for example, both wrists, or both knees. Assuming no other injuries or trauma has occurred, if one joint appears bigger or puffier than the other, it could indicate arthritis. Swelling often accompanies joint stiffness

Catching or grinding: This is the feeling that your joints or tendons are somehow tied up or catching on one another. Sometimes a patient will notice the catching or grinding, and then the pain will come later, Shea explains.

Fatigue: A prominent symptom of rheumatoid arthritis whereby the bodys immune system attacks the joints. It can lead to inflammation, both locally around the joint and systemically throughout the body. Systemic inflammation can leave individuals feeling symptoms of fatigue.

Fever or loss of appetite: Systemic inflammation not only reduces energy levels as previously mentioned but it can also result in flare-ups, or periodic increases in inflammation that can lead to a fever and loss of appetite.

Poor range of motion: It goes without saying that pain tends to inhibit movement, and that is definitely the case with arthritis pain. Doing simple household chores or your favorite hobbies become exponentially more difficult due to uninvited paina hallmark of arthritis.

These are some early signs associated with arthritis. It is important to speak with you doctor if you feel like you have any of these early symptoms, as they will help guide you to make the best choice for treatment options and best overall recovery.

Related Reading:

11 best essential oils for arthritis: Control arthritis and inflammation

Living with arthritis? Simple lifestyle and exercise tips to improve your joint health

http://www.prevention.com/health/7-surprising-arthritis-symptoms

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Early arthritis symptoms you should know - Bel Marra Health

CreakyJoints, an advocacy group for persons with arthritis, has launched ArthritisPower, a patient research registry for those with joint, bone and inflammatory skin conditions.

The registry is available via a free mobile app for iPhone and Android devices. The organization is financially supported by industry, government and private foundations, says Seth Ginsberg, president of CreakyJoints and co-founder of the Global Healthy Living Foundation.

Significant support also came from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, a not-for-profit nongovernmental organization authorized and funded in the Affordable Care Act. CreakyJoints also is part of PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network.

The ArthritisPower registry is part of the interconnected PCORnet collaboration of patient groups, registries and health systems, Jeffrey Curtis, MD, a professor of rheumatology and immunology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a statement. That means that as ArthritisPower grows, researchers can access specific data from our network and connect that information with data from other PCORnet networks, so that larger health questions can be asked and information can be utilized across patient populations.

Also See: Coalition forms to fight proposed NIH budget cuts

Were entering an era where patients speak up about what they want researchers to investigate, and researchers can use big data to answer those questions, Curtis continued. The more people who join and share information about their symptoms and treatments, the more quickly we are able to find answers.

ArthritisPower launched as a beta site in 2015 with 2,500 individuals downloading the mobile app and providing feedback on features. These early adopters provided 250 suggestions that were incorporated into the second version, built in an informatics unit at an undisclosed university, and now widely available.

CreakyJoints has been offering content online for two decades, serving more than 100,000 membersits web site has about 1 million visitors a year, Ginsberg notes. Now in the mobile era, it is offering additional services, enabling patients to track symptoms and treatments while also participating in research trials.

Patients can share information with their physicians, track results over time to determine when a new treatment starts to affect their symptoms, record personal insights in a journal to give context to flare-ups or improvements, send secure messages in private circles to communicate with others, and donate their health information to support research if they wish, Ginsberg explains.

Now, CreakyJoints is exploring how to scale the arthritis platform to also support research on how patients with diabetes or other autoimmune diseases are handling their conditions.

Further, Ginsberg says, the effort wants to expand to support other diseases. We want to get it right, he adds. We expect 10,000 users in a year, and then start looking at results and whats new.

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Fight against arthritis enlist patients with mobile tools - Health Data Management

Don't let arthritis pain hinder your ability to "walk with ease."

The McMinn County UT Extension will host "Walk With Ease," a structured walking program that teaches participants ways to safely make physical activity a part of their everyday lives, beginning Wednesday, April 5, at the McMinn Senior Activity Center, First Baptist Church of Athens, and the Etowah Area Senior Citizens Center. The program will be held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, April 5-28, from 10 to 11 a.m. at First Baptist, 1 to 2 p.m. at the Etowah Area Senior Citizens Center, and 3 to 4 p.m. at the McMinn Senior Activity Center.

The course is free.

Created by the Arthritis Foundation, "Walk With Ease" is designed to help people living with arthritis better manage their pain and is also ideal for people without arthritis who want to make walking a daily habit. The program offers support, information, and tools to help participants develop successful exercise routines.

"Research shows that walking is not only good for joints, but also helps improve the health of the heart, lungs, and bones," said Sarah Kite, UT Extension agent and Arthritis Foundation certified instructor. "Walking can also help manage weight which can reduce one's risk for arthritis in the knee, heart disease, and diabetes. If you can be on your feet for 10 minutes without increased pain, you will most likely have success with 'Walk With Ease.'"

The information and strategies taught in the Arthritis Foundation Walk With Ease Program are based on research and tested programs in exercise science, behavior change, and arthritis management. Updated and evaluated by the Thurston Arthritis Research Center and the Institute on Aging of the University of North Carolina, "Walk With Ease" has been shown to increase balance, strength and walking pace, as well as reduce the pain and discomfort of arthritis. The program also helps to build participants' confidence to be physically active and improve overall health.

The Arthritis Foundation Walk With Ease Program is one of several arthritis health education and exercise programs aimed at helping people take greater control of arthritis.

For a listing of programs, contact Kite at 745-2852 or visit utextension.tennessee.edu/mcminn. You can also learn more at the Arthritis Foundation website: http://www.arthritis.org

Attendees of all ages are welcome.

Consult your physician before beginning an exercise program.

To register, visit or contact the location you plan to attend or contact Kite at 745-2852.

UT Extension offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, religion or veteran status.

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Arthritis sufferers can take steps to 'Walk With Ease' - The Daily Post-Athenian

BATON ROUGE, La (LOCAL 33) - More than 200 walkers are supporting the Arthritis Foundations mission to cure arthritis and help people with arthritis live a full life by participating in the 2017 Walk to Cure Arthritis on May 20 at 8:00am at Woodlawn High School in Baton Rouge. Walk to Cure Arthritis brings together communities nationwide to fight arthritis the nations leading cause of disability which impacts 1.2 million residents of Louisiana, including 6,000 children.

In Baton Rouge, to help bring this event to its fullest potential, local leaders participating includes:

Arthritis is more than just a few minor aches and pains. Its a debilitating disease that robs people of their dreams, says Dr. Broyles. When you support Walk to Cure Arthritis, you become a Champion of Yes, helping us build a lifetime of better, while accelerating the search for a cure. Whether you are close to the disease or simply looking for an inspiring charity event that truly makes a difference, Walk to Cure Arthritis provides people the opportunity to experience the power of standing together and giving back to the community. Together, Baton Rouge can Walk to Cure Arthritis and help us reach our goal of raising $45,000 to help find a cure for this disease.

In the U.S., more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children live with arthritis. Costing the U.S. economy $156 billion dollars a year, arthritis affects one in five Americans and causes more activity limitation than heart disease, cancer or diabetes.

Nationally sponsored by Amgen, locals can register for the Baton Rouge Walk to Cure Arthritis and learn more about the event by visiting http://www.walktocurearthritis.org/batonrouge or contacting Sara Morthland at 337-540-0615.

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Arthritis Foundation's "Walk to Cure Arthritis" slated for May - http://www.brproud.com

The European Commission approved Pfizers twice-daily, oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor Xeljanz (tofacitinib citrate), in combination with methotrexate therapy, for treating moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adult patients who dont respond well or are intolerant to one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Xeljanz can also be used as monotherapy when methotrexate treatment isnt suitable.

Approval of Xeljanz in Europe is based in data from the global Phase III Oral Rheumatoid Arthritis Trials (ORAL) program. With the approval of tofacitinib, rheumatologists and patients in the EU now have an additional treatment option for the management of rheumatoid arthritis that can be taken with or without methotrexate, said Ronald van Vollenhoven, M.D., Ph.D., professor of rheumatology and director of the Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center ARC. This is an important advancement for the rheumatology community as up to one-third of people with rheumatoid arthritis may not achieve a response with current treatments and a number of patients may not sustain a response.

Xeljanz has been cleared in more than 45 countries for use as second-line therapy for moderate-to-severe RA, after failure of one or more DMARDs. The latest approval, in China, was announced earlier this month. Xeljanz was first approved in the U.S. in 2012, and in February 2016 FDA cleared a, once-daily, extended-release formulation, Xeljanz XR. Global sales of Xeljanz were $927 million in 2016, up from $523 million in 2015, up 77% on 2015.

Xeljanz is in Phase III development for treating ulcerative colitis and psoriatic arthritis. Positive data from the Phase III OPAL Broaden and Beyond studies evaluating Xeljanz as second-line therapy in adults with psoriatic arthritis were reported in November 2016.

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Pfizer's Xeljanz Approved in Europe for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Scientist Joanna Smeeton explores stem cell-based approaches to studying and eventually treating the common cause of cold aversion, disability and pain.

We only have treatments for the larger joints where you can provide total replacements, but a lot of people with arthritis actually get it in the joints of their hands, said Smeeton, a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Gage Crump and this years Broad Fellow, the third since 2014. Currently, there really isnt that much we can do for the cartilage in these smaller joints, other than treat the symptoms with steroids or painkillers.

As part of the quest for new and better treatments, her Broad Fellowship project leverages a key discovery that she and her colleagues recently published in the journal eLife. They found that certain joints in zebrafish jaws and fins have features similar to the type of mammalian joint susceptible to arthritis.

By damaging a ligament that stabilizes the adult zebrafish jaw, she can reliably induce cartilage damage and arthritis. Just as reliably, the zebrafish can repair the damage. Smeeton aims to understand which progenitor cells are regenerating the ligament and cartilage in the zebrafish jaws, and why similar repair fails to occur in humans.

In the future, these findings may help in devising strategies to stimulate analogous progenitor cells in patients joints toward boosting cartilage and ligament regeneration, she said.

Smeeton first decided to become a scientist thanks to a very different anatomical structure: the human kidney. As a high school student in the city of St. Catharines near Niagara Falls in Ontario, she developed a fascination with this complex organ, which is composed of 1 million subunits called nephrons that filter the blood, regulate blood pressure and produce urine.

Whenever I had a science class about kidneys, I thought, Oh, nephrons are so cool! she said.

At McGill University in Montreal, she majored in anatomy and cell biology, and observed kidneys and other organs in human cadavers in the anatomy lab.

Ive always been fascinated by how intricately patterned organs are and how that actually happens during development.

Joanna Smeeton

Ive always been fascinated by how intricately patterned organs are and how that actually happens during development, she said.

For her PhD, she learned more about kidney development in a lab at Torontos Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto.

During her postdoctoral studies, she expanded her focus beyond development and into the realm of regeneration.

Id been hearing talks about zebrafish for years and their amazing ability to regenerate parts of themselves that are injured or removed, she said. So I wanted to learn how to use them. I switched to studying cartilage because joint disease seemed like an area that was understudied in the context of natural regeneration and would be ripe for new treatments.

With these goals in mind, she joined the Crump Lab with a two-year postdoctoral fellowship from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine in 2014. Since then, she has not only discovered that zebrafish can develop arthritis, but also lent her talents as a soprano to the USC University Chorus and, with her husband Jeremy, parented twins: Edie and Isaac. Theirs is a true Trojan family: Jeremy Morris graduated in 2012 with an MFA from the Peter Stark Producing Program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

The twins have made me even more focused in my lab work, said Smeeton, because I know that any second that Im not home with them, I should be giving my 100 percent and really drilling down on the important questions we want to ask.

As she moves ahead with her research, the Broad Fellowship provides an ideal bridge. Established as part of a $2 million gift from The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, the fellowship is designed to support exceptional senior postdoctoral researchers at the transition point to starting their own stem cell laboratories.

Joanna is a motivated, smart and creative researcher who is destined for success in academic research, said Crump, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. This prestigious fellowship gives her the freedom to pursue her novel joint regeneration project, which provides a fundamentally new type of approach toward finding cell-based cures for arthritis.

More stories about: Research, Stem Cells

Gabriel Linares seeks therapies for patients with Lou Gehrigs disease.

The condition is more widespread in the animal kingdom than scientists suspected, USC study finds.

Lori OBrien will use Broad Center support to find her niche in kidney research and regenerative medicine.

The objective of one current research proposal is to push the frontiers of stem cell and tissue engineering technologies.

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USC scientist fishes for stem cell-based arthritis treatments - USC News

New tool for prognosis, choice of therapy for rheumatoid arthritis Science Daily In rheumatoid arthritis, antibodies are formed that affect the inflammation in the joints. In an article published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers at Uppsala University show that antibodies against the cartilage protein ...

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New tool for prognosis, choice of therapy for rheumatoid arthritis - Science Daily

San Diego researchers have reported a medical milestone: Theyve grown a whole meniscus, the slippery crescent of cartilage that cushions the knee joint.

Animal testing will be needed before the replacement meniscus can be used in people, said Darryl DLima, a Scripps Health physician-scientist who led the study.

Clinical trials will show whether the lab-cultivated meniscus can prevent or delay development of arthritis which commonly occurs when people lose their original meniscus and the accompanying pain and limitations in movement.

If such trials are established, signs of potential effectiveness could emerge as soon as two years into the testing, said DLima, who works at Scripps Clinics Shiley Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education. But it may take up to a decade to be sure.

The lab-grown meniscus contains all the major components of the natural one, DLima said. Made by a printer-like device using high-voltage technology borrowed from textile manufacturing, the meniscus has living cartilage cells embedded in fibers of bovine collagen, a structural protein.

The structure is as necessary as the ingredients to keep the shape of the meniscus amid the stresses it encounters in the knee, DLima said. Merely grinding up the components and molding them into the shape of a meniscus would produce something like cake batter, he said.

We call it the micro-architecture, he added. The Holy Grail has been to replicate the micro-architecture at the macroscopic level.

A physician who holds a doctorate in bioengineering from UC San Diego, DLima is skilled at synthesizing engineering and biology. Colleagues have described him as proficient at looking outside of biology for technologies that can be adapted for biomedical purposes.

DLima and fellow researchers have been pursuing their meniscus work for several years, thanks to various grants.

The details of their milestone achievement were presented last week at the Orthopaedic Research Societys annual meeting in San Diego. There, DLima discussed the types of cells needed for regenerative medicine while the meniscus study itself was discussed by colleague Jihye Baek of The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla.

The meniscus has a limited ability to recover from injuries because its poorly supplied with blood vessels. Minor damage can be repaired, but extensive injury will destroy it.

In some cases, a cadaver meniscus is used to replace the destroyed one. But the cadaver tissue must be tested to see if it contains dangerous pathogens, and it must be of the right size and shape for the patient. And cadaver meniscus transplants have a 50 percent failure rate.

DLima and his team said growing a replacement could be a better option. The meniscus could be custom-made and grown under sterile conditions to ensure its disease-free.

Experiments using artificial meniscus replacements are being tested, but those products will degrade over time, DLima said. In my opinion, theyre the strongest the day you put them in, because artificial materials can only get weaker, he said.

The theory is that a living replacement will maintain itself, making it more durable in the long run.

In any testing, an artificial material will actually beat a biological material, DLima said. Theres no way a bone can stand up to a steel beam. But a steel beam will eventually break, whereas your bone is constantly repairing itself. And thats whats happening in the meniscus.

If his teams research succeeds, it would represent a major triumph in the emerging field of bioprinting, in which individual cells are placed into a specific pattern that resembles natural tissue.

Companies such as San Diegos Organovo have tapped such technology to produce liver and other kinds of tissue for research. The liver tissue can be treated with various experimental drugs to see whether theyre likely to cause liver toxicity in patients. Organovo is also developing bioprinted tissue for future therapeutic uses.

The meniscus is hard to replicate, with cartilage cells woven in with collagen fibers at a microscopic level. This means both elements must be supplied the cartilage cells alone wont suffice. And arraying the cells and fibers in the proper pattern requires great precision.

DLimas team accomplished that feat by borrowing technology used to make textiles and air filters for vehicles. One, called electrospinning, uses high voltages to array fibers into precise positions. Another, known as electrospraying, deposits the cells inside the woven fibers as they are being spun into position.

The electrospinning process required 20,000 volts, but the cells survived because the current is low. Static electricity produce by shuffling across a carpet in cold, dry weather provides a familiar example of this effect the shock can be strongly felt because of the high voltage, but is harmless because of the low current.

The process is not quite the same as traditional bioprinting, DLima said, but the concept is similar.

The new study was funded by Donald & Darlene Shiley and the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Scripps Health initiated the study, provided most of the staffing and collaborated with The Scripps Research Institute.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020

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Lab-grown meniscus could one day prevent arthritis in knees - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Home General Health National Nutrition Month: Age-related macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, heart health

March is National Nutrition Month, so to keep you informed about nutrition, we have compiled a list of our top articles discussing nutrition and related topics including age-related macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart health. Here you will learn about foods that will boost your immune system, help you lose weight, and even save money while doing it. Come and learn how various simple changes to your diet can have great effects on your health and overall well-being.

Its often assumed that eating healthy costs a lot of money, meaning if you cant afford big-name superfoods, you end up buying cheaper fast food to satisfy your hunger. Unfortunately, as you know, not eating well can contribute to various health repercussions.

There are many superfoods out there that health experts have advocated for. But what exactly makes a food a superfood? Well, for starters, these foods are often packed with nutrients that work to promote good health. You receive an ample supply of vitamins and minerals known for supporting overall well-being. As mentioned, though, these foods often come with a hefty price tag, which can make healthy eating practices difficult to follow. Continue reading

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common occurrence for those over the age of 50, but that doesnt mean you cant try to prevent it. In fact, your diet plays a large role in age-related macular degeneration progression and development, so eating the right foods can help you enjoy a clear view for many years to come.

Age-related macular degeneration is a condition that progresses with age. It begins to affect people over the age of 40 by hindering central vision, which is used for activities such as reading and driving. When central vision begins to deteriorate, completing daily tasks becomes quite difficult. Continue reading

Rheumatoid arthritis management can be achieved through an anti-inflammatory diet and Mediterranean diet in order to reduce inflammation. Nutrition plays a vital role in all of our bodily functions and eating the right foods can mean the difference between good or poor health. Many foods are natural healers, so it should be of no surprise that food can play a role in managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Overall, rheumatoid arthritis patients are recommended to consume a healthy, balanced diet to maintain a healthy weight. Guidelines found in theNutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, fourth edition, describe what kind of diet patients with rheumatoid arthritis should stick to. The recommendations suggest eating a variety of foods, balancing healthy eating habits with physical activity, consuming plenty of grains, fruits, and vegetables, sticking to a low-fat diet, which is also low in saturated fat and cholesterol, moderating sugar intake, and drinking alcohol in moderation. Continue reading

A popular method for dieting is to count calories. Recommended daily calories for a sedentary senior male is around 2,000 and 1,600 for females. Of course, this would increase if a person is active. Counting calories seems like a universal way to lose or maintain weight, but its important to keep in mind every person is different inside and out so what may work for one person may not necessarily be effective for another.

Research is now suggesting that we move away from this popular diet trend and instead opt to promote the nutritional value of food. This way of eating has shown to be more effective in reducing illness and cutting down on obesity. Continue reading

Bottles that allow you to infuse water with fruit and vegetables are all the rage right now, and while nutritionists say there is nothing wrong with that, they do want consumers to understand the real value in drinking, paying for and creating your own infusion type drinks.

Infusion enthusiasts in the United Kingdom were recently introduced to a new twist on flavored water. A market called Whole Foods put three stalks of asparagus in large bottles of water and priced them at six dollars each. Store management quickly admitted it was a mistake and the asparagus water sparked new debate over the question: Are flavored waters really any better than regular water? Continue reading

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National Nutrition Month: Age-related macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, heart health - Bel Marra Health

A Strictly Come Dancing judge, a Great British Bake Off winner and two celebrity chefs have backed a new initiative by a Maidenhead-based charity.

Craig Revel Horwood, who has featured on Strictly since 2004, and Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge are among those who have teamed up with the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS).

They will be supporting the Time for Tea campaign, which is seeking to raise awareness of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and collect money for NRAS by holding fundraising tea parties.

Revel Horwood said: Rheumatoid Arthritis has had a huge impact on my life, growing up watching my mother struggling on a daily basis to cope with the effects of this disease.

I am delighted to be supporting the NRAS Tea Party - a fun and simple way to support NRAS valuable work and ensure they can continue to be there to help people like my mother.

Francis Quinn, who won the 2013 edition of the Great British Bake Off, and TV cook Lorraine Pascale have also signed up.

NRAS provides help and support for the 690,000 adults with RA in the UK, as well as 12,000 children with JIA (Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis).

The condition mainly affects the joints of sufferers, but can also cause problems in the heart, eyes and lungs.

The charitys head of fundraising, Michelle Vickers, said: Time for Tea is a great way for people who want to raise money for NRAS and be able to do it in a fun and inclusive way every month.

We love to bring people together and with the rise of baking across the UK this is a fantastic way of raising community spirit.

Whether you know someone with RA, you have RA or you just want to help people who are impacted with the life-altering condition, Time for Tea will help you to make a difference.

Visit http://www.nras.org.uk/tea-party to find out more and apply for a fundraising pack.

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Star names back National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society campaign - Maidenhead Advertiser

7 Surprising Arthritis Symptoms Every Woman Needs To Know Prevention.com "Depending on the type of arthritis, if you catch it early your doctor may be able to help you slow its progression," Shea says. Early detection could also give your doc the chance to administer anti-inflammation drugs, or recommend lifestyle changes ...

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7 Surprising Arthritis Symptoms Every Woman Needs To Know - Prevention.com

Everyone suffering from degenerative arthritis is scared of one operation -- knee replacement surgery. Now, researchers believe the key to success here could be preserving the joint rather than go in for a replacement.

For those suffering with age-related (degenerative) arthritis of the knee, a stage comes when all the reasonable non-operative options stop working. Thats when the option of surgery comes into the picture.

Dr J Maheshwari of Max Smart Super Specialty Hospital, Saket said that one common option suggested is knee replacement, and it being as intimidating as it sounds, it is natural that patients look for an alternative. Other non operative options such as stem cell treatment, oil messages etc. with large claims and no scientific backing also come into consideration.

Scared of the so called Total Knee Replacement, the patients often fall for alternative treatment modalities with tall claims and no scientific validity, and ultimately land up in a situation where knee replacement, like it or not, remains the only option.

Sometimes the surgery is delayed so much that even the best of surgeons cannot give a good result, and the fear of the patient actually comes true, said Dr Maheshwari.

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There is a recent advance in medicine, where the scientific community is focusing on joint preservation and not replacement options. Some of these are non surgical -- such as physiotherapy, weight reduction, modification in lifestyle etc, but others are surgical, where effort is to keep the original joint going. Some of these options may be surgical, aimed at corrective surgery in early stages of the arthritis, where one can see that if left to itself that particular joint is going to the path of damage, and hence future knee replacement.

These options could be key-hole surgery (arthroscopic surgery), which, if done at the right time, can halt the progress of the disease and may save one from knee replacement. Unfortunately, most patients do not have significant complaints at this stage, and may ignore their problem.

Joint preservation is the key here. (Shutterstock)

Dr Maheshwari further stated, in some patients with deformed legs (bow legs), the progress of arthritis can be halted by correcting the alignment, what is called high tibial osteotomy (HTO). Best approach, therefore would be to see a specialist to get yourself evaluated whether you have some such issue which may be the reason for your knee to take downhill course, and whether some intervention can prevent it from reaching knee replacement stage. Even in cases, where joint is damaged beyond a certain level, it is not necessary that total replacement is the only option. There are options where only the damaged part of the knee is capped (partial replacement).

Knee, as we know it today, is made up of three distinct compartments. Often the damage is limited to only one of the three compartments, and in such cases, a limited surgery on that compartment can produce good results, without changing the whole joint. These operations are more recent in the armamentarium of knee surgeons, and have been shown to be effective. These options are not applicable in every patient of advanced knee arthritis, but in some, selected by careful investigations and special X rays. These are good joint preserving options.

As a last resort, knee replacement is always an option in case it is ascertained that all compartments of the knee are damaged. Also knee replacement remains a potent back up option in any case where partial replacement has been done in the past, and for some reason it has not given desired results.

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Knee arthritis: Joint preservation and not replacement are the new ... - Hindustan Times

Generational differences in arthritis prevalence Nature.com A longitudinal study of four birth cohorts (19351944, n = 1,598; 19451954, n = 2,208; 19551964, n = 2,781; and 19651974, n = 2,230) found that succeeding generations had a higher prevalence of arthritis. Various risk factors were associated with ...

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Generational differences in arthritis prevalence - Nature.com