Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Rheumatology for November 2007. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Lyme Disease Arthritis Can Be Slow to Respond to Antibiotics
FRIDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Some Lyme disease patients respond more slowly than others to antibiotic treatment for arthritis, but they do respond, suggesting that synovial inflammation persists in non-responsive patients after the period of infection, according to a report published online Nov. 29 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Knee Pain Most Likely Due to Osteoarthritis
FRIDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Meniscal damage is modestly associated with the development of frequent knee pain in older adults, but the pain appears more directly related to osteoarthritis, according to study findings published online Nov. 29 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Imaging Technique Detects Taut Bands in Myofascial Pain
FRIDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- A new MRI technique known as magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) can detect and quantify areas of increased muscle tone (taut bands) in a patient with myofascial pain, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
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Long-Term Functional Gains Observed in Hip Arthroplasty
FRIDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who undergo total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis maintain improvement of physical function in the long term, researchers report in the Dec. 15 issue of Arthritis Care & Research. A second study in the same issue reports that approximately 22 percent of elderly patients presenting with hip pain will go on to have total hip replacement surgery after six years.
Abstract - Cushnaghan
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Abstract - Lievense
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No Clear Choice for Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Regimen
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Little evidence is available to support the use of one disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) monotherapy over another for rheumatoid arthritis, according to a systematic review published online Nov. 20 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Novel Urinary Biomarkers Identify Lupus Nephritis
MONDAY, Nov. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Four biomarkers that are elevated in the urine of patients with lupus nephritis may allow early identification of lupus patients who have kidney involvement, according to an article published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Journal of Immunology.
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Exercise Program May Benefit Women with Fibromyalgia
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A program of walking, stretching and simple strength-training exercises appears to benefit women with fibromyalgia, particularly when combined with education in fibromyalgia self-management, according to research published in the Nov. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Protein Tyrosine Nitration Blocks Morphine Tolerance
FRIDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Biochemical changes that produce morphine tolerance in mice can be blocked by inhibition of NO synthesis or removal of superoxide, pointing to peroxynitrite (ONOO-) as a signaling mediator in this setting, researchers report in the November issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Fibromyalgia Patients Sensitive to Sensory-Motor Conflict
THURSDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- People with fibromyalgia experience greater degrees of somaesthetic disturbance when exposed to sensory-motor conflict than healthy people, researchers report in the October issue of Rheumatology.
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