Archive for the ‘Arthritis and Rheumatology’ Category

Magnetic and copper bracelets have been popular for quite sometime now. They have become alternative therapies used by many people to treat pain caused by various musculoskeletal diseases, such as arthritis. But do they actually work? Researchers from the UK have shown in the first randomized placebo-controlled trial that these metallic objects are, in fact, ineffective in treating pain. They say that any benefit derived from them can be attributed to psychological placebo effects. “…our findings suggest that such devices have no real advantage over placebo wrist straps that are not magnetic and do not contain copper,” said Stewart Richmond, the lead author of the study. However, he emphasizes that although these products don’t necessarily cause harm, people should be careful about spending a lot of money on products that claim to cure your ailments with magnetic therapy. The study was published in the current issue of Complementary Therapies In Medicine. [via Medical News Today]

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Since the introduction of their Gardasil vaccine (marketed for the prevention of cervical cancer in women), pharmaceutical giant Merck has been wanting to expand the vaccine’s use to include males. Currently, the vaccine is approved for use in girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26. If Merck has its way Gardasil will be used in boys and men ages 9 to 26 as well. In documents posted online, the FDA said the vaccine prevented genital warts in males 90 percent of the time. Based on this the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is supporting the use of Gardasil in males. However, it is unlikely that the use of the vaccine will prevent a significant amount of penile and anal cancers, compared with cervical cancer. Cancer of the penis and anus are extremely rare, with less than 2,000 cases reported annually. Gardasil was approved for women in 2006 and had sales over $1 billion last year. [via CBS News]

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Tai Chi is a form of exercise that has been practiced in parts of Asia, especially China, for hundreds of years. It’s a form of martial arts that aims to cultivate the mind and body. Many practice Tai Chi because they experience improved physical function and mood. And now Australian researchers have determined that Tai Chi does in fact improve pain and disability in patients suffering from arthritis. However, I’m sure that practitioners of the art don’t need convincing, but modern medicine demands research trials be done. The researchers state, “The fact that Tai Chi is inexpensive, convenient, and enjoyable and conveys other psychological and social benefits supports the use this type of intervention for pain conditions such as arthritis.” The study is published in the June issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

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The results of a 20-year-long study has been published in the March 9th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers followed over 45,000 men and assessed their vitamin C intake throughout the length of the study and found that for every 500 milligram increase in vitamin C consumption, men’s risk for gout appeared to decrease by 17 percent. Men in the study who took 1,500 mg per day had a 45 percent less risk of gout, compared to those who took less than 250 mg per day. The researchers conclude that “Given the general safety profile associated with vitamin C intake, particularly in the generally consumed ranges as in the present study…vitamin C intake may provide a useful option in the prevention of gout,”

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German scientists published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association that drugs of the anti-TNF-α (anti-tumor necrosis factor) class used to treat rheumatoid arthritis are associated with an elevated risk of shingles. There are a number of anti-TNF-α drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, including Humira, Enbrel and Remicade. These drugs provide tremendous benefit to many with arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. However, based on this new study, doctor’s should now be aware of this potential serious side effect.

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The US Food and Drug Administration has given approval to the first new gout drug to appear on the market in 40 years. Gout is an intensely painful form of arthritis. The new drug, febuxostat, will be marketed in the US under the name Uloric by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Febuxostat lower the concentration of uric acid in the blood of people with gout. It has been shown to be effective in clinical trials and is safe for patient with kidney or liver problems.

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