Autoimmune Disease

Probiotic Supplements Beneficial in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Beneficial effects seen on Disease Activity Score of 28 joints, insulin levels, HOMA-B, hs-CRP THURSDAY, May 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Probiotic supplementation seems beneficial for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online May 2 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases. Batol Zamani, from Kashan University of Medical Sciences in […]

Camouflaging Agents for Vitiligo

May 05, 2016 Journal of Drugs in Dermatology TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this article reviewed camouflaging options for patients with vitiligo. Permanent camouflage, temporary camouflage, topical camouflage, and dihydroxyacetone are evaluated. Permanent camouflage, including cosmetic tattoos, has the advantage of being long-lasting in contrast to temporary camouflage, which must be applied daily in repeated […]

Association Between Psoriasis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

March 25, 2016 The British Journal of Dermatology TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The association between psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was studied in this nationwide Danish cohort trial. Investigators found that the risk of IBD increased as psoriasis disease severity increased. The adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of ulcerative colitis were 1.49, 1.56, 1.96, and 2.43 […]

Diet may determine your risk for rheumatoid arthritis

Date: November 8, 2015 Source: American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Summary: Two new studies show a person’s diet can significantly affect his or her chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Two studies, presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Francisco, show a person’s diet can significantly affect his or her […]

The OTHER 99%: It’s Not Just About Celiac Disease

8/19/2015 William Davis, MD I want to take this issue head on, since popular “wisdom” is that problems with consumption of wheat and related grains begin and end with celiac disease. The Wheat Lobby, for instance, frequently argues that, if you do not have celiac disease, you have no business avoiding wheat and related grains.Defenders […]

Relationship of Environmental Exposures and Ankylosing Spondylitis and Spinal Mobility: US NHAENS, 2009-2010

Int J Environ Health Res 2015;25(3):322-9. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2014.945512. Epub 2014 Aug 7. Ivy Shiue PMID: 25103950 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2014.945512 Abstract It was aimed to study the relationships of different sets of urinary environmental chemical concentrations and ankylosing spondylitis in a national and population-based setting. Data were extracted from United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, […]

Vitamin D Benefit Seen in Juvenile-Onset SLE Patients

05.28.2015 by Diana Swift Contributing Writer Cholecalciferol supplementation reduces disease activity and improves fatigue in patients with juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (JoSLE), a Brazilian study reports online May 18 in Arthritis Care and Research. In the first study to test supplementation in this population, rheumatologists from the medical faculty at the University of Sao Paulo […]

Vitamin D Deficit Tied to RA Disease Activity, QOL

Action Points Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis patients and was associated with worse mental/physical quality-of-life scores, as well as greater disease activity. Note that severely deficient patients had slightly longer disease duration, more hypertension, and osteoporosis, but regular physical activity correlated with higher vitamin D titers and better quality of life. […]

Patients With Psoriasis Are Insulin Resistant

March 23, 2015 Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology April 2015 Volume 72, Issue 4, Pages 599–605 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Psoriasis is known to be associated with type 2 diabetes, but little is known about insulin sensitivity and psoriasis. The authors of this study used the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, which is the gold standard for […]

Chiropractic and Ankylosing Spondylitis

– Lori A. Burkhart ACCORDING TO THE SPONDYLITIS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, although other joints can become involved. It causes inflammation of the vertebrae, which can lead to severe, chronic pain and discomfort. In the most advanced cases (but not in all), this […]

‘Where Does It Hurt Most?’ Is a Valid Diagnostic Question

by Rita Baron-Faust MedPage Today Staff Writer Two new studies say that patients’ descriptions of back or hip pain may have clinically valid utility in diagnosis of their conditions. A small study involving patients with hip pain in New Zealand found numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) scores from more than a dozen standardized tests, such […]

Family History of Arthritis Doesn’t Always Up RA Risk

by Diana Swift Contributing Writer, MedPage Today A family history of arthritis-related conditions, such as osteoarthritis (OA) or unspecified arthralgia, was not markedly predictive of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a Swedish study. “Although statistically significant familial co-aggregation was found for RA to every non-RA arthritis-related disease group — interestingly with no pronounced difference […]

Watch for Axial Back Pain in Psoriatic Pts

Published: Dec 12, 2014 By Pam Harrison , Contributing Writer, MedPage Today Story Source Rheumatology Watch for Axial Back Pain in Psoriatic Pts Published: Dec 12, 2014   By Pam Harrison , Contributing Writer, MedPage Today save | A A   Patients with psoriasis have a higher prevalence of lower axial back pain than the general […]

How a Natural Molecule May Protect Against Autoimmune Diseases

Tracy Hampton, PhD JAMA. 2014;312(21):2202. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.16227. EXTRACT Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)—the coenzyme form of the vitamin niacin and a natural molecule found in all living cells—may help protect against autoimmune diseases by regulating how CD4+ T cells differentiate, researchers report (Tullius SG et al. Nat Commun. 2014;5:5101). A team led by investigators at Brigham and […]

Effect of Tonsillectomy on Psoriasis

REVIEW · November 20, 2014 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this systematic review of 20 studies with 545 patients evaluated the relationship between tonsillectomy and psoriasis. Approximately 70% of patients with psoriasis who underwent tonsillectomy experienced improvement in psoriasis. While some patients had sustained improvements, others later relapsed. There is insufficient evidence to recommend tonsillectomy […]

Giant study links C-sections with chronic disorders

December 9, 2014 People born by C-section, more often suffer from chronic disorders such as asthma, rheumatism, allergies, bowel disorders, and leukaemia than people born naturally. Babies who enter the world through a Caesarean delivery face much greater risks of developing a range of chronic immune disorders caused by defects in the immune system, compared […]

Pediatric Arthritis, Look to the Gut

— The intestinal microbiota may act as a trigger in pediatric enthesitis-related arthritis. by Nancy Walsh, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today December 3, 2014 Alterations in the intestinal microbiota have been identified in children with enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), suggesting the possibility that the microbiome may play a triggering role in the disease, researchers reported. Among […]

Antibiotics in Children Increase Risk for Juvenile Arthritis

Pam Harrison November 18, 2014 Exposure to antibiotics during childhood significantly increases the risk for juvenile idiopathic arthritis in a dose-dependent manner, say investigators reporting at the American College of Rheumatology 2014 Annual Meeting in Boston. They suggest that alterations in the human microbiome might be implicated in the development of the disease. “The more […]

Exercises to improve function of the rheumatoid hand (SARAH): a randomised controlled trial

The Lancet — Lamb SE, et al. | October 14, 2014 Disease–modifying biological agents and other drug regimens have substantially improved control of disease activity and joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis of the hand. However, commensurate changes in function and quality of life are not always noted. Tailored hand exercises might provide additional […]

McKenzie training in patients with early stages of ankylosing spondylitis:

Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2014 Oct 31. [Epub ahead of print] McKenzie training in patients with early stages of ankylosing spondylitis: results of a 24-week controlled study. Rosu OM, Ancuta CM. Abstract BACKGROUND: It is widely accepted that patient education and regular exercises could improve pain, function and maintain posture in Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). […]