Treating both depression and inflammation can reduce severe pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Japanese researchers say.
They studied 218 RA patients who provided information about their pain levels, depression symptoms, year of RA onset, smoking and drinking habits and socioeconomic demographics. The researchers collected blood samples from the patients to measure levels of CRP, a protein produced by the liver. Levels of CRP rise during periods of acute inflammation. RA treatments often focus on reducing inflammation.
The study found that inflammation and depression each independently increased the likelihood of severe pain. The combined effects of high CRP levels and depression predicted severe pain even more strongly.
"Results of our research demonstrate the potential for clinicians to improve pain control by addressing their patients' psychological symptoms in addition to conducting anti-inflammatory therapy," study leader Dr. Masayo Kojima said in a news release.
The findings suggest that psychotherapy and/or psychotropic medication might be a priority for RA patients who experience severe pain without elevated levels of CRP.
"A clinical approach that takes into account both the body and the mind could have benefits and could enable optimal pain control," the researchers at Nagoya City University and Nagoya University Graduate Schools of Medicine said in a news release.
The study appears in the August issue of the journal Arthritis Care & Research.
Another report in the same issue found that RA patients with depressed spouses suffered worse disease progression over the one year studied. The Canadian study included 133 married RA patients.
"Our findings highlight the key role played by the spouse in disease course of individuals with RA, and point to the importance of including the spouse in clinical interventions," Anita DeLongis and colleagues at the University of British Columbia said. "The mood and mental health of the marital partner or other key members of the family may be critically important to consider in developing more effective and evidence-based treatment for RA patients."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Arthritis.Antibiotic doxycycline
A common antibiotic may slow the progression of osteoarthritis.
A new study shows that treatment with the antibiotic doxycycline slowed the deterioration of joint tissue in women with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Doxycycline is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. Previous lab tests with animal and human tissue showed that doxycycline may help preserve joint tissue, say the researchers. They add that this is the first major study of the antibiotic as a potential treatment for osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis that causes progressive destruction of the cartilage that cushions the joints. Common symptoms are joint pain and stiffness. When severe, osteoarthritis can cause loss of movement in the affected joint.
Antibiotic for Osteoarthritis?
In the study, which appears in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, researchers compared the effects of doxycycline to a placebo in about 400 obese women with knee osteoarthritis. Specifically, they measured the impact of treatment on the joint space in the affected knee. More joint space indicates a loss of cartilage and progression of the disease.
The women were randomly divided into two groups and received either 100 milligrams of the antibiotic twice daily or a placebo for up to two and a half years.
After 16 months of treatment, the study showed that the average loss of joint space in the diseased knee was 40% less among those who took doxycycline vs. the placebo. After two and a half years, the average loss among the antibiotic group was 33% less.
Although these results suggest the antibiotic slowed the progression of the osteoarthritis, researchers say it did not reduce the severity of joint pain reported by the participants.
However, researchers say the average level of pain was low in both groups, which may have provided limited opportunity for the treatment to show an effect on pain.
But doxycycline was associated with a reduction in the number of times the patients reported a 20% or more increase in knee pain.
Researchers say the study suggests that the antibiotic may provide benefits in the treatment of osteoarthritis but more studies will be needed to confirm these results.
A new study shows that treatment with the antibiotic doxycycline slowed the deterioration of joint tissue in women with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Doxycycline is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections. Previous lab tests with animal and human tissue showed that doxycycline may help preserve joint tissue, say the researchers. They add that this is the first major study of the antibiotic as a potential treatment for osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis that causes progressive destruction of the cartilage that cushions the joints. Common symptoms are joint pain and stiffness. When severe, osteoarthritis can cause loss of movement in the affected joint.
Antibiotic for Osteoarthritis?
In the study, which appears in the July issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, researchers compared the effects of doxycycline to a placebo in about 400 obese women with knee osteoarthritis. Specifically, they measured the impact of treatment on the joint space in the affected knee. More joint space indicates a loss of cartilage and progression of the disease.
The women were randomly divided into two groups and received either 100 milligrams of the antibiotic twice daily or a placebo for up to two and a half years.
After 16 months of treatment, the study showed that the average loss of joint space in the diseased knee was 40% less among those who took doxycycline vs. the placebo. After two and a half years, the average loss among the antibiotic group was 33% less.
Although these results suggest the antibiotic slowed the progression of the osteoarthritis, researchers say it did not reduce the severity of joint pain reported by the participants.
However, researchers say the average level of pain was low in both groups, which may have provided limited opportunity for the treatment to show an effect on pain.
But doxycycline was associated with a reduction in the number of times the patients reported a 20% or more increase in knee pain.
Researchers say the study suggests that the antibiotic may provide benefits in the treatment of osteoarthritis but more studies will be needed to confirm these results.
Antioxidants in pomegranates may thwart osteoarthritis
Researchers aren't making that declaration just yet. But they have found signs that natural compounds called antioxidants in pomegranates may thwart osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, with more than 20 million patients in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
The pomegranate study was done at Case Western Reserve University. The researchers included Tariq Haqqi, PhD, a professor of medicine. The results appear in The Journal of Nutrition.
Pomegranate Project
Pomegranate extract was pitted against osteoarthritis in lab tests. That's not the same as tests on people or animals, but it's a first step.
Pomegranate extract did two things in those lab tests. It cut levels of an inflammatory chemical called interleukin-1b (IL-1b). It also curbed enzymes that erode cartilage.
Cartilage is a hard but slippery coating on the end of each bone that helps bones slide smoothly past each other. Osteoarthritis develops when cartilage is broken down; exposed bone breaks down, causing pain, inflammation, and disability.
First Findings
This is the first study to show pomegranate's potential against osteoarthritis, note the researchers.
The results "indicate the pomegranate fruit extract or compounds derived from it may inhibit cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis and may also be a useful nutritive supplement for maintaining joint integrity and function," they write.
Researcher's Comments
"Arthritis is one of the foremost diseases for which patients seek herbal or traditional medicine treatments," says Haqqi in a news release.
"However, all the extracts and herbs have not been scientifically evaluated for their efficacy and safety. Indeed, some of them may even interfere with current treatments," he continues.
"Therefore, careful use of supplements and herbal medicines during early stages of disease or treatment may be made to limit the disease progression," says Haqqi.
As always, discuss any supplement use with your doctor.
Pomegranate Potion
The researchers didn't just crack open a pomegranate and put it in a blender. They also didn't use juice from the supermarket.
Instead, they made their own pomegranate extract from powdered pomegranate. Sophisticated filtering and measuring was used for science's sake.
The pomegranate has "been revered through the ages for its medicinal uses," write the researchers.
Antioxidants in pomegranates fight inflammation and may also counter cancer and heart disease.
In May, researchers reported that pomegranate juice may help prevent the return of prostate cancer. In March, another study showed that pomegranate juice may fight hardening of the arteries.
Pomegranate Season
Pomegranates are in season in the U.S. in the fall. They've got a thick, red, leathery skin. The seeds inside are the edible part.
Want to try a pomegranate? You might want to wear a bib or old clothes. The seeds leave a very strong stain and are used as a dye.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, with more than 20 million patients in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
The pomegranate study was done at Case Western Reserve University. The researchers included Tariq Haqqi, PhD, a professor of medicine. The results appear in The Journal of Nutrition.
Pomegranate Project
Pomegranate extract was pitted against osteoarthritis in lab tests. That's not the same as tests on people or animals, but it's a first step.
Pomegranate extract did two things in those lab tests. It cut levels of an inflammatory chemical called interleukin-1b (IL-1b). It also curbed enzymes that erode cartilage.
Cartilage is a hard but slippery coating on the end of each bone that helps bones slide smoothly past each other. Osteoarthritis develops when cartilage is broken down; exposed bone breaks down, causing pain, inflammation, and disability.
First Findings
This is the first study to show pomegranate's potential against osteoarthritis, note the researchers.
The results "indicate the pomegranate fruit extract or compounds derived from it may inhibit cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis and may also be a useful nutritive supplement for maintaining joint integrity and function," they write.
Researcher's Comments
"Arthritis is one of the foremost diseases for which patients seek herbal or traditional medicine treatments," says Haqqi in a news release.
"However, all the extracts and herbs have not been scientifically evaluated for their efficacy and safety. Indeed, some of them may even interfere with current treatments," he continues.
"Therefore, careful use of supplements and herbal medicines during early stages of disease or treatment may be made to limit the disease progression," says Haqqi.
As always, discuss any supplement use with your doctor.
Pomegranate Potion
The researchers didn't just crack open a pomegranate and put it in a blender. They also didn't use juice from the supermarket.
Instead, they made their own pomegranate extract from powdered pomegranate. Sophisticated filtering and measuring was used for science's sake.
The pomegranate has "been revered through the ages for its medicinal uses," write the researchers.
Antioxidants in pomegranates fight inflammation and may also counter cancer and heart disease.
In May, researchers reported that pomegranate juice may help prevent the return of prostate cancer. In March, another study showed that pomegranate juice may fight hardening of the arteries.
Pomegranate Season
Pomegranates are in season in the U.S. in the fall. They've got a thick, red, leathery skin. The seeds inside are the edible part.
Want to try a pomegranate? You might want to wear a bib or old clothes. The seeds leave a very strong stain and are used as a dye.
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