Musculoskeletal Disorders

LUND, Sweden -- Men are more likely than women to achieve rheumatoid arthritis remission, researchers here have found.

LUND, Sweden -- Men are more likely than women to achieve rheumatoid arthritis remission, researchers here have found.

PHILADELPHIA -- Performance measures for hospitals adopted by Medicare and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations may only be loosely related to patient outcomes.

PHILADELPHIA -- Performance measures for hospitals adopted by Medicare and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations may only be loosely related to patient outcomes.

A 73-year-old woman presents with apainless, nonpruritic rash of recent onseton her right lower ankle. She has nofever, chills, nausea, vomiting, malaise,or other systemic complaints. Her medicalhistory includes fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis,stable angina, and anxiety;there is no history of connective tissuedisease.

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- An FDA advisory panel said Wednesday that the Cox-2 inhibitor Celebrex (celecoxib) should be approved for treatment of pain associated with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

BOSTON -- The biologic agents used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are no better or worse for the heart than methotrexate, according to a case-control study.

WASHINGTON -- In a majority of patients with fibromyalgia, Lyrica (pregabalin) maintains its painkilling effect for several months, a researcher said here.

WASHINGTON -- Vaccination against influenza or pneumococcal disease is safe and effective in people with rheumatoid arthritis who are taking Humira (adalimumab), a researcher said here.

WASHINGTON -- There is no link of significance between major cancers and new biologic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis, FDA-mandated warnings not withstanding, a researcher said here.

WASHINGTON -- Humira (adalimumab) has a "quite profound" benefit for children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and is well-tolerated, a researcher reported here.

WASHINGTON -- Early aggressive treatment with a combination of drugs can drive rheumatoid arthritis into drug-free remission in some patients, Dutch researchers said here.

CHICAGO -- Arcoxia (etoricoxib), an investigational Cox-2 inhibitor, has a cardiovascular safety profile similar to diclofenac, an old line NSAID, according to pooled data on almost 35,000 arthritis patients.

WASHINGTON -- The novel agent Actemra (tocilizumab), an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody, is safe and effective in children with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, a Japanese researcher said here.

WASHINGTON -- Pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus face sharply increased risks of a range of both disease -related and pregnancy complications, researcher said here.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Joints affected by the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis may be soothed by dietary supplements containing extracts of the curry ingredient turmeric, researchers here studying rats reported.

Allopurinol, commonly used to treat patients with gout, has been known to cause hypersensitivity reactions. We report a case of drug-induced delayed multiorgan hypersensitivity syndrome secondary to allopurinol use. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in a patient presenting with allopurinol-induced rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms.

BOSTON -- Exercise in the six weeks before a hip or knee replacement led to significant improvements in preoperative muscle strength and a 73% lower-risk of needing care at a rehab facility after arthroplasty.

TORONTO -- Patients with disabling osteoarthritis who consider a knee or hip replacement to be a realistic option are more likely to become a recipient of one than those who are of two minds, Canadian researchers said.

BOSTON -- When a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome comes to mind, consider migraine, fibromyalgia, and depression as well.

STANFORD, Calif. -- Gleevec (imatinib), the targeted leukemia drug, appears to prevent and reverse rheumatoid arthritis in a mouse model, researchers here reported, apparently by inhibiting proteins involved in inflammation.

STANFORD, Calif. -- Gleevec (imatinib), the targeted leukemia drug, appears to prevent and reverse rheumatoid arthritis in a mouse model, researchers here reported, apparently by inhibiting proteins involved in inflammation.

While playing soccer, a 24-year-old man fell on his outstretched hand, felt a "pop," and immediately noticed a deformity of his wrist. He was in severe pain when he presented to the emergency department.

The term "prehypertension" was introduced in the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7) guidelines to describe blood pressures (BPs) of 120/80 mm Hg to 139/89 mm Hg.1

n epidemiologic studies, cigarette smoking is strongly associated with the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), in particular seropositive RA. In 1987, Vessey and colleagues1 first reported an unexpectedly elevated risk of RA among women smokers in the Oxford Family Planning Association contraceptive study.

To what do you attribute symptoms of rash and fever in: a man with type 2 diabetes; a woman with systemic lupus erythematosus; a previously healthy girl.

BOSTON -- Concerns that immune-modifying anti-arthritis drugs could increase the risk of malignancies may be unfounded, according to a review of U.S. and Canadian databases.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Women with a strong genetic predisposition to rheumatoid arthritis aren't exacerbating the problem by smoking, surprised investigators here discovered.

These hyperkeratotic, hemorrhagic, depressed ulcerations developed on the feet of a 45-year-old white man with a 4-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Lethargy, a reluctance to face pain, and a lack of incentive and encouragement from physicians are keeping too many patients with arthritis on the couch, further disabling themselves, said investigators here..