New CEO, new message: Arthritis Foundation ups awareness effort

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New CEO, new message: Arthritis Foundation ups awareness effort

http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/conditions/08/31/arthritis.foundation/index.html

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- If your exposure to arthritis is limited to

those aspirin commercials where a senior winces while opening a jar,

Tino Mantella has a message for you. Arthritis isn't just minor aches

and pains. It doesn't just affect the elderly. And it can have

crippling, even fatal, consequences.

" We need to make sure people understand that this is a serious disease

that affects all ages, " said Mantella, the new chief executive officer

of the Atlanta-based Arthritis Foundation.

Since arriving earlier this summer, Mantella and the foundation have set

out to heighten awareness of the public health risk posed by arthritis.

" When you look at it in terms of the number of people affected and the

kinds of costs passed to the country, it just deserves more attention, "

he said. Mantella, who previously was CEO of the Chicago, Illinois,

YMCA, calls the foundation a $128 million organization fighting a $65

billion disease. That's the estimated cost to the United States economy

in medical expenses and lost wages.

Arthritis numbers rise

About 43 million Americans suffer from arthritis, which the foundation

says is the leading cause of disability in the country. That number is

expected to rise to 60 million within 20 years as baby boomers age.

" There's a whole other group that we need to do something about that

will want to know about this, " Mantella said. Arthritis actually is an

umbrella term covering more than 100 different diseases. " When people

think about arthritis, what we're basically talking about is pain or

limitations of moving a joint, " said Dr. Klippel, the Arthritis

Foundation's medical director.

The most common form is osteoarthritis, in which the cartilage surface

that lines the joints becomes damaged and eventually deteriorates, often

affecting the hands, hips, knees and spine. Most people over 60 have

some degree of osteoarthritis, although not all experience its most

painful symptoms, the foundation says.

Another common but very different type is rheumatoid arthritis, in which

the immune system goes after healthy joint tissue, leading to

inflammation and damage to the joints. It affects about 2.1 million

Americans, roughly three-fourths of them women. Lupus, another disease

of the immune system, also falls into the arthritis category.

Conditions often treatable

Many other familiar conditions are considered part of the arthritis

family, including Lyme disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, inflammatory

bowel disease, tendinitis, even back trouble. It's not just those

unfamiliar with arthritis whom the foundation says it wants to reach.

Many who have it don't realize it can be treated. " People have this

notion that as they age that they just should expect their joints are

going to hurt. … They don't have to live with arthritis, " Klippel said.

" This is not part of normal aging, and there's a lot that can be done. "

The foundation's slogan -- " Take control. We can help " -- aims to stress

that point. " The message is, people can take control over their lives in

many ways, " Mantella said.

Osteoarthritis treatment can range from anti-inflammatory drugs (which

include aspirin and ibuprofen) to Vioxx and Celebrex, newer arthritis

medications. Weight control and exercise also may help, and, in some

cases, surgery is an option.

Early diagnosis crucial

Doctors also stress the importance of early diagnosis. " The earlier a

diagnosis can be made and the earlier therapy can be started, that has

the greatest chance of minimizing discomfort and minimizing the risk of

disability, " Klippel said. Researchers have made progress in pinpointing

the causes of some forms of arthritis and developing treatments for

them, but say they have much left to do. That, of course, means money,

and potentially competing for funds against AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's,

diabetes and a host of other devastating conditions.

Arthritis, an affliction amid an array of maladies, has to struggle to

get the recognition it deserves, Mantella said. " We're saying this is

important to give it more attention, " he said.