Rheumatoid arthritis

Posted on Arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis

COVAX – Covid-19 Vaccines and Rheumatic Conditions

Vaccination
Vaccination


COVID-19 is the disease caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Since it emerged at the end of 2019, the virus has caused a global pandemic. In February 2021, EULAR, the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology, launched COVAX – a physician-reported registry to collect information about COVID vaccination in people with both inflammatory and non-inflammatory RMDs. Rheumatologists in EULAR-affiliated countries were asked to report as many cases as possible of people with RMDs who had received a COVID vaccine, whether or not they had experienced side effects.

From February to July 2021, information was collected for 5,121 people with different types of RMD who had received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. The most common inflammatory RMDs were rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. The most common non-inflammatory RMDs were osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Among people with inflammatory RMDs, 54% were taking a conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (csDMARD), 42% were on biological DMARDs (bDMARDs), and 35% were taking immunosuppressant medicines for their RMD (e.g., glucocorticoids, mycophenolate, azathioprine).

The results from COVAX show that the majority of people with inflammatory RMDs tolerate their COVID vaccine well – with no difference in safety profile to that seen in the general population or people with non-inflammatory RMDs. The most common side effects were short-lived reactions to the injection. One of the reasons for asking additional safety questions in people with inflammatory RMDs is the concern that the vaccine could cause a disease flare. In this study, only 4.4% of people experienced a flare after having their COVID vaccine, and only 0.6% were classed as severe. The majority of people (over 98%) were able to continue on their normal medication with no changes. The study also found there was a low rate of COVID-19 infections in people with RMDs once they were fully vaccinated.

These are valuable findings which will support discussions about the safety and benefit/risk ratio of COVID vaccination for people with RMDs. The information will also be useful for the development of new and updated recommendations.

Posted on Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis – Depression often co-occurs with joint diseases

Those suffering from depressive symptoms have an increased risk for physical diseases, especially for arthrosis and arthritis. These findings were reported by researchers from the University of Basel and the Ruhr-University Bochum. Their results, based on data from 14,300 people living in Switzerland, have been published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Public Health.

Depression is one of the leading health risks and affects 350 million people worldwide. In Switzerland, around 400,000 people individuals suffer from it each year. Several studies in countries around the globe have shown that depression is associated with an elevated risk for a variety of physical diseases. However, for Switzerland, a country ranked as one of the wealthiest and with one of the best and most expensive health care systems worldwide, the association between depressive symptoms and physical diseases had yet been unclear.

A research group led by Prof. Gunther Meinlschmidt from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Basel and the Faculty of Medicine at the Ruhr-University Bochum has now attempted to close this gap. They conducted analyses, using data from the Swiss Health Survey, comprising of 14,348 subjects aged 15 years and older.

Risk for arthrosis and arthritis

The psychologists report that participants with depressive symptoms have a higher risk of suffering from a physical disease. Roughly one third of the participants suffering from depression also suffer from at least one physical disease. This association was evident especially with arthrosis and arthritis that are degenerative and inflammatory diseases of the joints.

More studies are now needed to further scrutinize the association between depression and joint diseases. According to the study, it can be speculated that depressive symptoms result in a lack of interest in physical activity, which may then lead to joint diseases. However, it could also be the other way around: People with joint diseases may be impaired in their daily activities negatively affecting their mental health and ultimately resulting in depressive symptoms. Or: Joint diseases are often caused by inflammatory processes, which have also been speculated for certain types of depressive disorders. Therefore, inflammatory processes may represent the link between depressive symptoms and physical diseases.

Improving health care

“A better understanding of the association between depressive symptoms and physical diseases in Switzerland is the basis for a better health care provision for people suffering from mental disorders as well as physical diseases”, says Gunther Meinlschmidt, author of the study. In addition, these findings are also important for health care policy, for example by improving the precision of future estimates of societal burden and costs related to depression.

Posted on Rheumatoid arthritis

Seven Helpful Hand Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Beginner Hand Workout

7 Helpful Hand Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Beginner Hand Workout - YouTube

Improve hand flexibility and function with this beginner hand workout. Follow along with Hand Expert, Michelle, as she guides you through 7 Helpful Hand Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The joints of the hand are very small and are often the most vulnerable to loss of motion and deformity due to Rheumatoid Arthritis. S

ince the joints of the fingers are small, gentle and safe exercises can be very effective at improving function. Come back to this video daily to do these exercises.

The exercises are as follows:

Exercise 1: Flex knuckles, also known as MP flexion

Exercise 2: Hook fist, also known as Claw

Exercise 3: Straight fist

Exercise 4: Full fist

Exercise 5: Finger glides, also known as tendon glide

Exercise 6: Finger Walks

Exercise 7: Wrist circles

Posted on autoimmune conditions, Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Primarily an Autoimmune Disease

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Primarily an Autoimmune Disease - YouTube

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory type of arthritis characterized by severe joint pain, inflammation and loss of mobility — particularly within the hands of middle age to elderly women. Symptoms often come and go and can affect other body parts, such as the eyes, mouth and lungs. The causes of RA is unknown, although it’s categorized as an autoimmune disease because it appears that the immune system is attacking its own tissues. Genetics, hormones, environment, diet and gastrointestinal health are all related factors.

An estimated 1.5 to 2 million American adults currently suffer from RA. There are natural remedies, lifestyle changes and pharmaceutical treatments that help reduce the symptoms of RA and slow its progression.



Posted on autoimmune conditions, Rheumatoid arthritis

Researchers find one autoimmune disease could lead to another

Police Women of Cincinnati- Drunk and Threatening - video Dailymotion

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered that having one kind of autoimmune disease can lead to another.

The scientists serendipitously found that mice with antibody-induced rheumatoid arthritis in their joints went on to develop spinal lesions similar to those in axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) which causes fusion of the vertebrate and curvature, or bending, of the backbone.

The study was published today in the journal Immune Network.

“Our results suggest that one autoimmune disease, such as inflammatory arthritis, may also lead to a secondary autoimmune disease such as AxSpA,” said the study’s lead author Nirmal Banda, PhD, professor in the division of rheumatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “This interesting disease association may be due to the binding of anti-collagen autoantibodies to the spine, or to some alteration of the immune system that requires further investigation.”

These same anti-collagen antibodies are also present in humans with arthritis. They directly attack joint cartilage resulting in inflammation and pain.

Banda noted that every mouse injected with collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) developed arthritis and then curvature of the spine consistent with axial spondyloarthritis.

“I began to notice the proliferation of bone in the spine and fusing of the vertebrate,” he said. “The  normal spaces between the spine vertebrate in certain location were disappearing. This is similar to what happens to humans with AxSpA.”

The connection, he said, has not been made in any other study he’s seen.

“I believe we are the first to make this link,” he said.

But exactly how one autoimmune disease could trigger another remains a mystery, one that Banda hopes to investigate.

“I want to know what the mechanism is,” he said.

In the meantime, he suggested that those with an autoimmune disease be vigilant in case they develop another.

“I believe because of our changing environment we are seeing a growth in autoimmune diseases,” he said. “There are already connections between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis and dry age-related macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis. I believe this is an area that needs further exploration.”

The study co-authors include V. Michael Holers, MD, professor in the division of rheumatology at the CU School of Medicine and Francisco  G. La Rosa, MD, professor in the division of pathology at the CU School of Medicine.