Rheumatology

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat that affects more than half of persons older than 50 years. The most common bone disease in humans, osteoporosis is associated with pain, disability, and increased risk of mortality.

Women living at northern latitudes are at higher risk for being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, according to study results published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Older patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis (OA) who have undergone total knee replacement (TKR) surgery experience significantly improved dynamic balance in addition to pain relief and improved function, according to a study presented at the recent American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting in New Orleans. In another study, researchers found that patients may participate in high-impact sports activities after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) without increasing the risk of early implant failure-and may even achieve better clinical scores.

The highly coveted iPad was released last weekend, and those who were fortunate enough to acquire the new gadget have been quick to discuss what kind of impact it will have on just about any industry. But what kind of impact will the iPad have on healthcare?

Virtually all health care professionals who responded to a recent survey thought that exercise is good medicine for expecting mothers. However, 60% of the physicians and 86% of the doctors of osteopathy were not familiar with current pregnancy exercise guidelines.

Prediction of fractures is specific for the patient’s sex and the site of bone mineral density (BMD) measurement. This finding challenges the practice of using similar models-and of measuring BMD at the hip only-to predict fracture risk for men and for women.

Key aspects of the usual care that general practitioners provide for patients with low back pain (LBP) do not align with the care recommended in evidence-based guidelines. The likely result is less than optimal outcomes.

There is a high prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) deficiency in older men who have radiographic hip osteoarthritis (OA). Because 25(OH)D plays a significant role in bone and cartilage maintenance, therapeutic interventions with vitamin D are warranted to augment their skeletal health.

MRI abnormalities that resemble rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathologies often are found in the metacarpophalangeal and wrist joints of healthy persons. Although MRI is highly sensitive for tracking the progression of erosions, it has low specificity for RA, suggesting caution in the interpretation of joint lesions on MRI, especially in early arthritis.

Exercise training provides an effective means for reducing anxiety symptoms, with minimal risk of adverse events. Anxiety reduction is a favorable outcome of exercise interventions that were designed as a primary treatment or adjuvant for medical conditions other than anxiety.

Separate patterns of comorbidity are identified in patients who have fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and noninflammatory rheumatic disorders (NIRD). The patterns include the type of comorbid variables reported and their associations with age and disease duration.

Scientists have pinpointed and controlled a key molecular component that will keep certain stem cells associated with arthritis and osteoporosis in an extended infancy state, according to a study published online in the journal Development.

Early this morning, President Obama announced that there is no actual need for healthcare reform, and apologized for "making such a big deal about it before."

Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Pamela Hartzband, MD, and Jerome Groopman, MD, explore the changes, good and bad, that the Internet has brought to the practice of medicine.

Individuals across the country are either rejoicing, cursing, or anxious over the historic passing of healthcare reform legislation and for physicians and legal experts alike the question remains: What will these changes mean for the practice of medicine and patients' rights?

Study results published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that Twitter is often used to spread misleading or false information about key healthcare topics, with incorrect information from a single tweet able to reach hundreds of thousands of patients.

A 42-year-old woman had a "life-long" history of mild to moderate low back pain, without radiation, anesthesia, weakness, or incontinence. She denied recent trauma or an inciting event. 

Hormone replacement in the joint fluid of men and women may help regenerate damaged tissue in patients with late stage human osteoarthritis.

Scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center may have found a new therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. The researchers published the results of a study focused on the use of an investigational drug to treat the diseases in the online edition of Science.

Patients with osteoarthritis may experience less knee loading by wearing flip flops and shoes with flexible soles, instead of wearing clogs or stability shoes.

HCPLive interviewed Ron Wince, president and CEO of Guidon Performance Solutions about the healthcare reform bill.

A theory on inflammation and pain may lead the way for the creation of new kinds of painkillers, according to research from the University of Leeds.

(AUDIO) Jennifer P. Schneider, MD, PhD, a specialist in addiction medicine and pain management, discusses the myths and misunderstandings that prevent physicians from prescribing opioids for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and low back pain.

We met cute. Classic Hollywood. America caught a glimpse of healthcare reform about a year ago--but only in passing, a little flirtatious hair-toss. Couldn't really see anything, veiled and shadowy, but God did she look great.

I have stayed away from saying much about the health care reform debate so far, but based on the healthcare reform plan passed yesterday, I'd have to say, "Gosh, that doesn't look too bad."

Sunday evening, the House of Representatives voted 219 to 212 to approve the Senate version of the health reform bill. Lost in all the hoopla surrounding backroom wheeling and dealing and arcane parliamentary procedures has been the response from the physician community, which has been decidedly mixed.

The healthcare sector will see an increase of 4 million jobs by 2018. Unfortunately, we'll continue to see shortages on the doctor's side, meaning that to take advantage of growth, doctors will need to cultivate a strong supporting cast. Here's how to do it.

A new a study, published by BioTrends, finds rheumatologists are eager to use Roche-Genentecha's Actemra in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

A new website provides data on how healthy-or unhealthy-every county is.