All posts by Arthritis Foundation

let's get a grip on arthritis

Share Your Story With Us! Together, #LetsGripArthritis

Arthritis is an invisible disease that affects more than 54 million Americans. The pain of arthritis can often keep people from doing the things they truly love, such as hiking or dancing, but it can also rob them of life’s simple pleasures and most basic joys, like picking up your child.  

Everyone needs to know that arthritis is THE #1 disability in the United States and countless Americans are waiting for a cure. This Arthritis Awareness Month, we launched the #LetsGripArthritis campaign to put a spotlight on the brutal realities of arthritis so we can get a grip on this debilitating disease once and for all. 

To show people how challenging it can be to live with arthritis, we asked our arthritis community to share their stories. This is what you shared with us.  

Continue reading Share Your Story With Us! Together, #LetsGripArthritis

arthritis foundation planned giving

Arthritis Foundation Donors Like You Fuel Our Mission

Every day at the Arthritis Foundation, we fight this disease on all fronts – raising awareness, providing life-changing resources, holding community events and offering other local support – all while funding research that shows promise, not only for earlier diagnostics and innovative treatments, but also, ultimately, a cure.

Please take a moment to watch the informative video below to see how our mission is driven forward by the generosity of people like you.

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carra grants 2018

Spring 2018 Childhood Research Grants Announced

We recently gave approximately $160,000 toward childhood arthritis research in the form of research grants. The grants are funded through the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA); small grants were given to pediatric rheumatologists and fellows small grant research awards were given to third year fellowship students.

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cvs and arthritis foundation LGGA partnership

Help the World Get a Grip on Arthritis During Arthritis Awareness Month

May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, and we’re asking you to join us in our fight against the world’s most prevalent disease.

Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the United States, affecting one in every four adults, nearly 300,000 children and countless families and loved ones. The physical pain it causes can make everyday tasks difficult if not impossible. Perhaps worst of all, arthritis steals quality of life, preventing people from doing the things they love, like favorite hobbies or activities and even simple pleasures like picking up their child.

That’s why we’ve launched our Let’s Get a Grip on Arthritis campaign. CVS Health®, the campaign’s Presenting Partner, is working with us to help Americans get a grip on arthritis. Shop at CVS Pharmacy® before May 31 and they’ll donate $1 back to the Arthritis Foundation with the purchase of select products, up to a maximum of $300,000.

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celebrex safety label

FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Softening “Celebrex” Safety Labeling

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel concluded that prescription pain medication celecoxib (Celebrex), marketed by Pfizer, is as safe as other common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) when it comes to cardiovascular (CV) risks. The panel recommended updating the medicine’s safety labeling to reflect that.

Celecoxib is a selective COX-2 inhibitor, which means it blocks production of an enzyme associated with inflammation. “Nonselective” NSAIDs, such as naproxen and ibuprofen, block both COX-1 and COX-2; by blocking COX-1, they give rise to gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. Celecoxib is often prescribed to patients with osteoarthritis (OA) or an inflammatory type of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially those who are at higher risk of GI side effects.

But its cardiovascular safety profile has been under a cloud of suspicion for more than a decade, after two other COX-2 inhibitors were pulled from the U.S. market. Rofecoxib (Vioxx) was removed in 2004 and valdecoxib (Bextra) in 2005 over concerns they raised the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, to unacceptable levels. (All NSAIDs increase the risk of cardiovascular side effects; risks rise with the dose and length of time used.)

Continue reading FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Softening “Celebrex” Safety Labeling

let's get a grip on arthritis

Let’s Get a Grip on Arthritis

So More People Can Do What They Love

If you have arthritis, you know full well what it’s like. The physical pain that makes everyday tasks difficult if not impossible. The emotional distress and feelings of isolation. The money it drains from your family budget.

But many of those who don’t have arthritis don’t have a clue. They don’t know that:

  • Arthritis is the world’s most prevalent disease. In the United States alone, 54 million adults – one in four – have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. And as many as 91 million Americans may truly be affected, according to a recent study.
  • Arthritis isn’t just an “elderly disease.” Two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65, including 300,000 children.
  • While it may not be as life-threatening as cancer or heart disease, arthritis accounts for 100 million doctor visits and nearly 7 million hospitalizations each year. It can damage vital organs and make other conditions worse.
  • Arthritis is to blame for the loss of 172 million workdays each year and costs the U.S. economy more than $300 billion annually in lost wages and medical expenses.

Continue reading Let’s Get a Grip on Arthritis