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Cure Research for Rheumatoid arthritis

Cure Research list for Rheumatoid arthritis:

The list of research areas and treatments under analysis mentioned in various sources for Rheumatoid arthritis includes:

Medications currently used in research into the treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis:

Note:You must always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.

Some of the different medications being used in the research into treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis include:

Curable Types of Rheumatoid arthritis

Possibly curable or rare types of Rheumatoid arthritis include:

Rare Types of Rheumatoid arthritis:

Some rare types of Rheumatoid arthritis include:

Treatments for Rheumatoid arthritis

Treatments to consider for Rheumatoid arthritis may include:

Medical Research Breakthroughs and Rheumatoid arthritis

Reduced risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in women who breastfeed: According to a recent study published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, women who breast feed for a longer period of time are less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis. The fraction of women breastfeeding for more than six months has increased substantially in the past thirty years. This study involved the examination of the effects of breast feeding, administration of oral contraceptives, and having children (but not breast feeding) on rheumatoid arthritis with 136 women with rheumatoid arthritis and 544 women without the disease. The group that had children and breastfed for extended periods of time experienced reduced rheumatoid arthritis. Those who breastfed longer were more likely to have a reduced arthritis risk. In comparison to the group that never participated in breastfeeding, women who had breastfed for one to 12 months had only three-quarters the chance of getting the disease while women who had breastfed for 13 months or more had half the chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis as those who had never breastfed. This relationship was not found with the use of oral contraceptives, which mimic the hormonal effects of pregnancy. It was hence concluded that there was some difficulty in drawing a direct connection between the higher rates of breast feeding and the correlating drop in the number of women affected by rheumatoid arthritis. However, this study shows another reason why women might consider continuing breast feeding.

Cure Research discussion for Rheumatoid arthritis:

Handout on Health Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Following are examples of current research directions in rheumatoid arthritis supported by the Federal Government through the NIAMS and other parts of the NIH.

Scientists are looking at basic abnormalities in the immune systems of people with rheumatoid arthritis and in some animal models of the disease to understand why and how the disease develops. Findings from these studies may lead to precise, targeted therapies that could stop the inflammatory process in its earliest stages. They may even lead to a vaccine that could prevent rheumatoid arthritis.

Researchers are studying genetic factors that predispose some people to developing rheumatoid arthritis, as well as factors connected with disease severity. Findings from these studies should increase our understanding of the disease and will help develop new therapies as well as guide treatment decisions. In a major effort aimed at identifying genes involved in rheumatoid arthritis, the NIH and the Arthritis Foundation have joined together to support the North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium. This group of 12 research centers around the United States is collecting medical information and genetic material from 1,000 families in which two or more siblings have rheumatoid arthritis. It will serve as a national resource for genetic studies of this disease.

Scientists are also gaining insights into the genetic basis of rheumatoid arthritis by studying rats with autoimmune inflammatory arthritis that resembles human disease. NIAMS researchers have identified several genetic regions that affect arthritis susceptibility and severity in these animal models of the disease, and found some striking similarities between rats and humans. Identifying disease genes in rats should provide important new information that may yield clues to the causes of rheumatoid arthritis in humans.

Scientists are studying the complex relationships among the hormonal, nervous, and immune systems in rheumatoid arthritis. For example, they are exploring whether and how the normal changes in the levels of steroid hormones (such as estrogen and testosterone) during a person's lifetime may be related to the development, improvement, or flares of the disease. Scientists are also looking at how these systems interact with environmental and genetic factors. Results from these studies may suggest new treatment strategies.

Researchers are exploring why so many more women than men develop rheumatoid arthritis. In hopes of finding clues, they are studying female and male hormones and other elements that differ between women and men, such as possible differences in their immune responses.

To find clues to new treatments, researchers are examining why rheumatoid arthritis often improves during pregnancy. Results of one study suggest that the explanation may be related to differences in certain special proteins between a mother and her unborn child. These proteins help the immune system distinguish between the body's own cells and foreign cells. Such differences, the scientists speculate, may change the activity of the mother's immune system during pregnancy.

A growing body of evidence indicates that infectious agents, such as viruses and bacteria, may trigger rheumatoid arthritis in people who have an inherited predisposition to the disease. Investigators are trying to discover which infectious agents may be responsible. More broadly, they are also working to understand the basic mechanisms by which these agents might trigger the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Identifying the agents and understanding how they work could lead to new therapies.

Scientists are searching for new drugs or combinations of drugs that can reduce inflammation, can slow or stop the progression of rheumatoid arthritis, and also have few side effects. Studies in humans have shown that a number of compounds have such potential. For example, some studies are breaking new ground in the area of "biopharmaceuticals", or "biologics". These new drugs are based on compounds occurring naturally in the body, and are designed to target specific aspects of the inflammatory process.

Investigators have also shown that treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with minocycline, a drug in the tetracycline family, has a modest benefit. The effects of a related tetracycline called doxycycline are under investigation. Other studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in certain fish or plant seed oils also may reduce rheumatoid arthritis inflammation. However, many people are not able to tolerate the large amounts of oil necessary for any benefit.

Investigators are examining many issues related to quality of life for rheumatoid arthritis patients and quality, cost, and effectiveness of health care services for these patients. Scientists have found that even a small improvement in a patient's sense of physical and mental well-being can have an impact on his or her quality of life and use of health care services. Results from studies like these will help health care providers design integrated treatment strategies that cover all of a patient's needs--emotional as well as physical. (Source: excerpt from Handout on Health Rheumatoid Arthritis: NIAMS)

Questions and Answers About Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Researchers are trying to identify the causes of rheumatoid arthritis in the hope that understanding the cause will lead to new treatments. They are examining the role that the endocrine (hormonal), nervous, and immune systems play, and the ways in which these systems interact with environmental and genetic factors in the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Some scientists are trying to determine whether an infectious agent triggers rheumatoid arthritis. Others are studying the role of certain enzymes (specialized proteins in the body that carry out biochemical reactions) in breaking down cartilage. Researchers are also trying to identify the genetic factors that place some people at higher risk than others for developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Moreover, scientists are looking at new ways to treat rheumatoid arthritis. They are experimenting with new drugs and “biologic agents” that selectively block certain immune system activities associated with inflammation. Recent studies suggest that these represent promising approaches to treatment. Other investigators have shown that minocycline and doxycycline, two antibiotic medications in the tetracycline family, have a modest benefit for people with rheumatoid arthritis. (Source: excerpt from Questions and Answers About Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases: NIAMS)

Medical research for Rheumatoid arthritis: medical news summaries:

The following medical news items are relevant to medical research for Rheumatoid arthritis:

Rheumatoid arthritis Treatment: Book Excerpts

Clinical Trials for Rheumatoid arthritis

Some of the clinical trials for Rheumatoid arthritis include:

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Rheumatoid arthritis

Medical research papers related to Rheumatoid arthritis include:

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database


 » Next page: Deaths from Rheumatoid arthritis

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