By Tami Borcherding, as told to Sarah Ludwig Rausch I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 10 years ago, the summer before my first grandchild was born. Before I went in to see my doctor, I knew something was going on. A couple of mornings, I couldn’t move my hands because they were … Read more
For the first decade of her life, Saada Branker enjoyed a normal, active childhood in Montreal. But after a year of unexplained pain in her shoulders, hands, and feet, her doctor diagnosed her with polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, now called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), when she was 12. That news 40 years ago surprised … Read more
SOURCES: Annals of Epidemiology: “Kombucha: a systematic review of the empirical evidence of human health benefit.” Cleveland Clinic: “Probiotics.” Mayo Clinic: “Rheumatoid arthritis.” Sonya Angelone, registered dietitian nutritionist; spokeswoman, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Julie Kapp, PhD, associate professor, health management and informatics, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia. Aaron Emmel, PharmD, pharmacotherapy … Read more
When you’re diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you and your doctor might talk about symptoms like joint pain and medications to manage your disease. But RA, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, can affect your body and lifestyle in unexpected ways and your doctor might not mention them. Sometimes you have to learn how RA … Read more
SOURCES: Betty Hsiao, MD, rheumatologist, Yale Medicine. Arthritis Care & Research: “Diet and Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms: Survey Results from a Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry.” Sara Tedeschi, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School. The Rheumatologist: “Why Did Rheumatoid Arthritis Begin in 1800?” Avram Goldberg, MD, clinical director, NYU Langone Rheumatology Associates, Lake … Read more
Andy Pendergrass grew up in rural Louisiana as an extremely active and athletic kid. But always looming in the back of his mind was the fact that both his mother and maternal grandmother had rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Pendergrass knew that his family history meant his chances of having the autoimmune disease were higher … Read more
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Oct. 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A recently approved rheumatoid arthritis medication appears to be an effective second-line therapy when biologic treatments start to fail, a new clinical trial reports. Arthritis sufferers treated with upadacitinib had a significantly greater reduction in their symptoms and … Read more
By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Starting drug treatment early in rheumatoid arthritis patients may reduce their risk of heart disease, a new study suggests. Rheumatoid arthritis at least doubles the risk of heart disease due to its links with atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries), heart … Read more
By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — People with lupus aren’t at increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 due to steroidal medications they take to reduce immune system activity, a new study finds. And a related study found that people with inflammatory forms of arthritis — such as rheumatoid … Read more