Getting Rid of Arthur, the Uninvited Guest

When Kevin Gadd was born, roughly 51 years ago, an unexpected and unwelcomed guest joined his family. “My mom was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in her hands just after I was born,” explained Kevin. “We called it Arthur, like Arthur-itis. We were always mad at Arthur because he brought pain to my mom and made it difficult for her to do the things she loved. Arthur was a bad dude.” Kevin’s mom, Kay Steen, is a classically trained vocalist and pianist who performed throughout her life while teaching herself to play several other instruments. Having RA was especially difficult. Kay Steen ...more

Give Green, Get Green for Arthritis

While St. Patrick’s Day might be months away, Arthritis Foundation supporters in nine different markets are painting the town green in honor of over 50 million Americans and 300,000 kids living with arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation recently launched the fall Give Green, Get Green for Arthritis fundraising campaign to generate awareness and raise vital funds to find a cure for arthritis. The Give Green, Get Green campaign has kicked off in New York City (NY), Baltimore (MD), Louisiana, Montgomery (AL), South Florida, Cleveland (OH), Cincinnati (OH), Phoenix (AZ) and Minneapolis (MN). Local markets are looking to recruit “Champion Greenies” who can ...more

Reduce Your Risk of Falling: Move More

If your hip or knee arthritis makes you feel unsteady and worry that you’ll fall, your instinct probably is to avoid risks. You might not feel confident walking far or doing much physical activity. But to become steadier and reduce your risk of falling, you have to overcome those worries and be more active – safely. A 2013 study in BMJ shows that moving more may protect against tumbles and injury. Researchers found that among 4,305 older adults, those who exercised regularly were 37 percent less likely to be injured from a fall than their sedentary counterparts. Physical activity improves balance, cognitive ...more

Ibuprofen May Raise Heart Risk More Than Other NSAIDs

A big study published in 2016, called the PRECISION trial, found that people with arthritis who take the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen are more likely to develop cardiovascular problems than those using celecoxib – and now researchers think they know why. Ibuprofen raises blood pressure, according to new findings presented recently at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Barcelona. These findings were based on the results of a sub-study of the PRECISION trial, called PRECISION-ABPM. Both studies looked at patients at risk of heart disease who took one of three common pain relievers for arthritis: celecoxib (Celebrex), ibuprofen ...more

Five Things You Should Know About Biologics

Biologics have revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid, psoriatic and other inflammatory types of arthritis for almost two decades, but plenty of misconceptions about them remain. Rheumatologist Eric Matteson, MD, helps separate fact from fiction. What are biologics made of? Unlike conventional drugs, which are made of chemicals, biologics are engineered proteins that come from genes. Biological processes stimulate cells from natural sources – such as microorganisms, humans or other animals – to produce these proteins, which are specifically designed to impair or block certain functions of the immune system. What do biologics do that other medications can't? Instead of blocking many different cell actions, ...more

Junior Ambassador Spotlight - Ethan Berkovitz, Ohio

From Ethan Berkovitz My name is Ethan Berkovitz, I am a 16-year-old high school sophomore  and my favorite sports are soccer and futsal, a type of indoor soccer with five players per team.  I play on the U.S. Youth Futsal 16-and-under National Team, and this summer I got to compete and represent our country in Costa Rica.  I have been playing soccer since I was 3 years old – and I have juvenile arthritis. I didn’t always have juvenile arthritis. It all started when I was 8 years old,  when I started having pain in my legs, hands and wrists. I thought ...more

Which OA Pain Reliever Works Best?

One of the benefits of modern medicine is the large selection of pain relievers available. The challenge is finding the right one at the right dose to reduce your osteoarthritis (OA) pain. With so many available, which is the most effective? Researchers analyzed 74 studies involving a total of 58,556 people with OA pain in their knees and hips. The studies looked at pain relievers available in the United States, including acetaminophen (Tylenol) and the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Voltaren), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). It also covered medications not available in the U.S., such as etoricoxib, ...more

Joint Replacement May Help Your Heart

Replacing damaged joints gives people with arthritis a dramatically improved quality of life – with reduction or even elimination of pain and improved mobility. A new joint can give you a new lease on life, allowing you to resume activities you love and improve your mood and relationships. But like anything in life, there are risks and benefits. A group of studies about the effects of joint replacement on your heart demonstrate those risks and benefits. Studies published in recent years,  suggested that certain people are at increased risk of heart trouble following joint surgery. For example, a study in Annals ...more

FDA Approves A Fifth Biosimilar for Arthritis, But Three Are Still Not Available

The number of biosimilars approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to grow in the United States, and they are slowly becoming available to consumers. In late August, the FDA approved Cyltezo (adalimumab-adbm), a second biosimilar to Humira (adalimumab). But like the first biosimilar, Amjevita (adalimumab-atto), which was approved in September 2016, it is not yet available to U.S. consumers because of pending patent litigation with AbbVie, the manufacturer of Humira. Cyltezo comes in a pre-filled syringe for subcutaneous injection and is approved to treat the same chronic inflammatory diseases as Humira, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis ...more

Benefit From a Charitable Gift Annuity While Doing Good

You've worked hard for decades – and it's about time to enter the next phase of your life. You'll have time to catch up on those books you've been meaning to read, travel to places you've dreamed of visiting and perhaps volunteer for that charity you've always admired. But a pleasurable retirement requires sound financial planning. How can you be sure you’ll continue receiving the lifetime income you need and not have to worry that you’ll have enough? There are many answers to that question, and we strongly recommend you seek the guidance of a professional financial advisor to explore your options. One of ...more