Wednesday, 01 October, 2008 03:32 Written by admin
New discoveries about the genetic roots of gout may lead to new gout treatments and new tests to gauge a person’s risk of developing gout.
Researchers including Abbas Dehghan, MD, of Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands report that news in tomorrow’s online edition of The Lancet.
Dehghan’s team studied gene data from three long-term health studies that together included more than 26,700 participants in the U.S. and the Netherlands.
Tuesday, 16 September, 2008 20:57 Written by admin
A substance secreted by parasitic nematode worms may help provide a more effective treatment for inflammatory types of arthritis.
The molecule, ES-62, already circulates in the blood of millions of people infected with the worms in the Tropics.
It prevents the massive inflammatory response that the worms are otherwise capable of producing in conditions such as elephantiasis.
The Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde will carry out the project.
Friday, 12 September, 2008 11:30 Written by admin
Arthroscopy to treat arthritis in the knee is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States. However, according to a group of researchers, the procedure is both unnecessary and ineffective in treating the condition.
A study involving 178 men and women found that of 92 participants assigned to receive surgery, the 86 who actually underwent the surgery fared no better than the 86 who received only medications for inflammation along with physical therapy. The average age of participants was 60, which is the typical age for this type of arthritis patient. The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.