Tag Archives: rheumatoid arthritis

Astaxanthin—Nature’s Most Powerful Antioxidant

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 Story at-a-glance

  • Astaxanthin is believed to be the most potent antioxidant nature has to offer. In terms of antioxidant power or potency, astaxanthin is 550 times stronger than vitamin E, and 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C
  • While it is related to other carotenoids like beta-carotene, Continue reading →

Ancient Chinese Remedy Could Soothe Joint Pain

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Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of joint pain caused by a faulty immune system. As such, it is difficult to control. In the absence of the ability to cure it, patients strive to find ways to limit the pain. So here are your seven best bets from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

1. “Wang Bi” Granules: There are 18 ingredients in this formula, Continue reading →

Maintain Eye Health by Balancing Your Omegas

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When it comes to maintaining good health, people differ on what to focus on. Some concentrate on keeping a healthy body weight. For others, good digestion is a priority. Or, it could be that mental health becomes a focal point. Despite these different priorities, just about everyone agrees that maintaining good eyesight is very important. Being able to see clearly is a tremendous gift that we should all invest a little time and effort into protecting.

With that in mind, consider the results of a recent study linking omega fatty acid ratios to eye health. Researchers in Croatia investigated the possible connection between the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio and the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). They looked at 125 patients diagnosed with ARMD and divided these patients into five groups. Continue reading →

Injectable Progesterone Contraceptives May be Associated with Poor Periodontal Health

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Injectable progesterone contraceptives may be associated with poor periodontal health, according to research in the Journal of Periodontology. The study found that women who are currently taking depotmedroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injectable contraceptive, or have taken DMPA in the past, are more likely to have indicators of poor periodontal health, including gingivitis and periodontitis, than women who have never taken the injectable contraceptive. DMPA is a long-lasting progestin-only injectable contraceptive administered intermuscularly every three months.

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gum tissue and bone that supports the teeth. Gingivitis, the mildest form of gum disease, causes the gums to become red, swollen, and bleed easily. Periodontitis is the most severe form of gum disease and can lead to tooth loss. Additionally, research has associated gum disease with other chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Continue reading →

Help Your Body Win the Battle against Autoimmune Disease

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We face an epidemic of autoimmune diseases, medical conditions that cause the body to attack itself and destroy its own tissues. Everyone who lives in today’s polluted world — exposed to toxins at home, outside and just about everywhere in the environment — is at risk. But you can take natural steps to regulate your immune system and help it ward off disease, not cause it.

Well-Designed Immunity

While your body is designed to defend against a host of environmental invaders, it cannot completely withstand the adverse effects of poor diet, chronic stress and toxic buildup. These common factors can contribute to a group of serious health problems of epidemic proportions, including autoimmune (AI) disease, which is on the rise.

AI diseases comprise more than 100 unique types, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Continue reading →

Prevent and Treat Osteoarthritis

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Painful osteoarthritis is a major health threat for millions of Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 46 million American adults have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia. In fact, 50 percent of adults aged 65 and older report they’ve been given a diagnosis of arthritis by a doctor.

Repeated trauma and joint stress, both of which can trigger joint inflammation, are the leading causes. Those people who have widespread joint involvement probably have a strong predetermination to develop the disease which may be triggered by a bad diet, environmental toxins, or infections.

Here are eight tips to both prevent and treat osteoarthritis:

Avoid obesity According to a Centers for Disease Control report on arthritis, 66 percent of adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis are overweight or obese. The more weight you have on a joint,  Continue reading →

Newly Discovered B Cells Suggest Why Women Suffer More Autoimmune Disease

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Researchers at National Jewish Health have discovered a type of cell that may contribute to autoimmune disease. The findings also suggest why diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis strike women more frequently than men.

The cells, a subset of immune-system B cells, make auto antibodies, which bind to and attack the body’s own tissue. The researchers report in the August 4, 2011, issue of the journal Blood, that they found higher levels of these cells in elderly female mice, young and old mice prone to autoimmune disease, and humans with autoimmune diseases. National Jewish Health has applied for a patent for a method to treat autoimmune disease by depleting these cells.

“We believe these cells could be useful in the diagnosis  Continue reading →

Your Arthritis May Kill You

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Risk: Most people with painful knuckles and toes wait at least three months before visiting their GP

Risk: Most people with painful knuckles and toes wait at least three months before visiting their GP

Thousands of people with the tell-tale signs of arthritis are taking up to 10 years off their lives by putting off going to see their doctor, experts have warned.

A study has shown there is a crucial ‘three-month window’ when rheumatoid arthritis – which causes stiff, swollen and sore joints – can be slowed down and even stopped in its tracks.

The research suggests the toll of the disease in Britain could be scaled back if it is caught within these early months when symptoms first appear in patients.

But most sufferers with painful knuckles and toes wait longer before visiting their GP.

Left untreated or tackled too late, the crippling condition can lead to people giving up work. Poorly treated rheumatoid arthritis also raises the risk of heart attacks and other cardiac problems.

Dr Karim Raza, a consultant rheumatologist, said: ‘Recent trial data has shown that there is a three-month window after the start of symptoms and if you look at the molecules in the joints at that time they are different from what they are at a later stage.

‘The data suggests that if you intervene within those three months you can very rapidly slow progression of the disease and in some cases halt it.

‘There is also a suggestion that if you intervene aggressively you might in a small proportion of people actually switch off the disease.’

He added: ‘A quarter of patients stop working within the first five years of diagnosis.

‘And the condition doesn’t just affect the joints. On average, people with rheumatoid arthritis die 10 years younger than people without rheumatoid arthritis.’

Modern medicine allows the condition, in which the immune system attacks the joint, to be quickly diagnosed and, in many cases to be effectively treated.

Studies show that given early enough, methotrexate and other pills available on the NHS, can greatly slow the progress of the condition and, in some cases even halt it all together.

But they are most effective if given within the first three months of someone developing early symptoms such as swollen and painful joints.

In extreme cases, eight years pass between the first signs of rheumatoid arthritis and the prescription of pills, the British Science Festival heard.

Dr Raza, whose research is partly funded by Arthritis Research UK, said: ‘The patient is the main culprit. On average, patients spent three months thinking about whether to see their GP.

‘People think that developing aches and pains is part and parcel of life. They don’t think it is serious or they don’t want to waste their GPs time.’

One of the most common of the 200 or so types of arthritis, the condition affects twice as many women as men.

Tell-tale signs include a stiffness of the fingers and toes that wears off over the course of the day, rather than worsening with exercise.

The knuckles and other finger joints are particularly susceptible, as the joints between the toes and foot, with both sides of the body affected equally.

Although the rheumatoid arthritis is most common after the age of 40, it can occur at any age.

In osteoarthritis, the most common form of the condition, the problems are not caused by the immune system but by the cartilage that takes the strain in joints getting worn way.

Dr Raza added that the development of tests that would allow the better matching of drugs to patients could see some patients cured by early treatment.

‘That’s the Holy Grail,’ he said. ‘There is a precedent in the cancer literature – the more you understand what’s going on in a tumour, the more you’re able to target treatments and the better the outcomes. We’d like the same to be true of rheumatoid arthritis.’

A spokesman for Arthritis Research UK said: ‘The average delay of 12 weeks between the onset of symptoms and going to the GP is something that needs to be urgently tackled, as we know that early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is vital if we want to get the condition under control quickly to prevent joint damage.

‘Many people are not aware of rheumatoid arthritis nor how serious it can be, and assume aches and pains in their joints are something to do with over-doing exercise or gardening.

‘We have a lot of work to do in raising awareness of rheumatoid arthritis among the general public so that they know to seek their GP’s advice as soon as they develop symptoms.’