Arthritis Insight Newsletter * Vol. 4 Issue 89

[Guest guest]

Arthritis Insight Newsletter * Vol. 4 Issue 89

January 23, 2002

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Welcome to the 89th issue of the Arthritis

Insight Newsletter. All back issues will be posted at

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/newsletter/

Feel free to pass this newsletter around to

others who may be interested.

---------------------------------

The information in this newsletter should not

take the place of advice and guidance from your own

health-care providers. Material in this

newsletter is provided for educational and informational

purposes only. Be sure to check with your doctor

before making any changes in your treatment plan.

Information presented here is the opinion of the

authors and has not necessarily been approved or

endorsed by the medical advisors.

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God Bless America and keep our country safe

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Notes From Tina

(tina@...)

Tina Underwood aka KrissyJo

Hi! I hope everyone had a great week. I'm having

one of those weeks where the faster I work, the

behinder I get! If you've sent me something and I

haven't responded, I will-I promise, eventually!

I'm just having a hard time getting caught up.

Thanks to everyone who has written wishing me

well with the Kineret. So far, the only result I am

having is a headache, but that should go away in

time. They say I should feel the good effects in

about 4 weeks, so I have 3 to go.

We've had quite a few donations via Pay Pal the

last couple weeks, thanks! It is never the " wrong "

time to donate to Arthritis Insight. We need

money year round, not just during the donation drive!

So keep it coming and we'll keep the website

going.

Have a pain free week.

---------------------------------

Ron's Ramblin's

(ron@...)

Ron aka IndyRon

OK gang, I have had it. I am TIRED of being

tired. This stupid thing called fatigue is about to

beat me. Besides making you feel like crap, the

fatigues are a total waste of time. I have tried

every thing that I know to make them go away and

nothing seems to work. I have exercised, slept,

rested and all iterations in between only to

continue to be absolutely worthless. I bet I was not

awake more than 6 hours on Sunday and was as

tired Monday morning as if I had not slept at all. I

have been going to bed early and seem to be

sleeping through the night. When I mention the

fatigue to a physician, all they can do is ask me if I

have been tested for sleep apnea. I haven't but

know that I have never presented with any of the

symptoms. I get angry when they mention the

sleep apnea because I know that they just started a

new sleep lab and need to fund it.

Oh well, thanks for listening to me whine. I

hope that each of you has a pain free week. Until

next week, (((((((HUGS TO ALL)))).

~Indy

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Your Weekly Giggle

Politically Correct Ways To Say Someone Is Stupid

A few clowns short of a circus.

A few fries short of a happy meal.

The wheel's spinning, but the hamster's dead.

Slipped into the gene pool when the lifeguard

wasn't watching.

All foam, no beer.

The butter has slipped off his pancake.

The cheese slid off his cracker.

Body by Fisher, brains by Mattel.

Warning: Objects in mirror are dumber than they

appear.

Couldn't pour water out of a boot with

instructions on the heel.

He fell out of the stupid tree and hit every

branch on the way down.

As smart as bait.

Doesn't have all his dogs on one leash.

Her sewing machine's out of thread.

One fruit loop shy of a full bowl.

Her antenna doesn't pick up all the channels.

His belt doesn't go through all the loops.

Proof that evolution CAN go in reverse.

Receiver is off the hook.

Not wired to code.

Skylight leaks a little.

Her slinky's kinked.

Too much yardage between the goal posts.

Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy

to hold them together.

A photographic memory, but the lens cover is on.

During evolution his ancestors were in the

control group.

Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the

train isn't coming.

Is so dense, light bends around her.

If brains were taxed, he'd get a rebate.

Standing close to her, you can hear the ocean.

Some drink from the fountain of knowledge, but he

just gargled.

She stayed on the Tilt-A-Whirl a bit too long.

Check out all the jokes at:

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/fun/jokes

Send yours in today!

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Tina's Tips

tina@...

Arthritis can affect your ability to do even the

simplest of tasks. I've heard some people say,

" Accept your limitations. " I'm not sure accepting

them is the way to go. I prefer to challenge those

limitations, work around them, finding alternate

ways of achieving the same goal. Every week I'll

share some tips I've found to work around those

annoying limitations and I hope all of you will

send in your tips too. We may not be the next

Martha , but sometimes the simplest things can

help so much.

Hey! My mailbox is fresh out of tips! PLEASE

share your tips with us.

Here are some of our past tips:

I'm new here so I don't know if you've gotten

this suggestion in the past. Most of us can't bend

down or rest our weight on our knees so in order

to make my life easier when washing the bath tub I

wet the tub I sprinkle Comet or Ajax and then I

use a clean mop to scrub away the grime.....No

bending is necessary. Submitted by: Nubby

Instead of hauling cleaning supplies up and down

stairs, and room to room, I keep a separate

plastic basket in each bathroom of what is needed,

along with rubber gloves. So, besides using it for

regular cleaning, it is always available for

emergency clean ups. (like when your bottle of

foundation goes flying because you lost your grip while

shaking it). I also love the Clorox clean up

wipes....very easy to use! Submitted by:

Rubbermaid shelfliner also works very well for

gripping. Wrap it around utensils, drinking

glasses, anything at all and secure with a rubber band.

-Tina

Check out more tips at

http://arthritisinsight.com/living/tips.html and

send in yours today to Tina@...

---------------------------------

What's New?

Featured Discussion:

Health Insurance

Wow! What a response to our Health Insurance

Survey! I think this is our biggest response yet,

this is obviously an area which many are interested

in. So let's get started!

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/feature/insurance/

Coming February 4th:

Valentine's Day

Ah...a day for lovers! In honor of Valentine's

Day we'd like to spend a week talking about the

special people in our lives.

Please take a minute and fill out our quick

survey.

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/feature/survey.html

Question of the Week:

You've just caught the fish that will grant you

three wishes. What are they?

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/question

Advice for Better Living

Can you help?

Anybody got a tip on how to press that red safety

button on a childs car seat that releases the

straps? I'm really deforming my thumb!!

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/living/advice/

Pet Pics

Arthritis Insight members have the cutest pets!

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/living/pets/petpics1.html

Rosie's Signifigant Other Spot

Play as Therapy-sounds good to us!

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/living/family/sos/

Members CAN Write!

a Bader shares her poem, The White Coat.

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/can/

Birthday Board

New happy days! When's yours?

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/birthday/

Get Involved

Join the Arthritis Dieters Group.

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/involved/

Member Stories

Debbie shares her JRA story and Marlena starts a

hip replacement journal.

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/stories/

Arthritis Warrior

Another very deserving nominee.

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/warrior/

Our Pets

More members tell us about " My Pet "

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/living/pets/pets.html

What do you want to see on Arthritis Insight or

in the Newsletter? Let us know and we'll do our

best to accommodate!

---------------------------------

Arthritis Insight Chat

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/chat

Chat Schedule:

Monday evenings at 9pm BRISBANE time, it's an

Aussie chat with InsightHostPanda.

Tuesdays

Tuesday evenings at 9pm Eastern time, join

InsightHostMel for Arthritis Support Chat.

JRA World Chat- JRAWHost will host Young

Adults with Arthritis support chat every Tuesday at

10pm Eastern time in the JRAWorld Chatroom.

Wednesdays

Parent's Support Chat, for parents of kids with

JA, every Wednesday at 10pm Eastern in the JRA

World chatroom.

Thursdays

Another great evening of arthritis support with

InsightHostTweet at 9:30pm Eastern time.

JRA World Chat- Growing Up With Arthritis, for

kids, teens, and adults who are growing up or have

grown up with arthritis hosted by JRAWHost

at 10pm Eastern time in the JRAWorld Chatroom

Fridays

InsightHostPic and InsightHost will take

turns tending bar every Friday night at 10pm Eastern

time. Remember, you can drink cyber-alcohol with

methotrexate! Bring plenty of quarters for the

jukebox.

Saturdays

Live from Arthritis Insight it's Saturday Night

Live! InsightHostTEXAS will be here, so come on

in! Every Saturday night at 10:30 pm Eastern time.

Sundays

Arthritis Support chat with InsightHostDipped at

9pm Eastern, please join us!

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Cooking with Char

Char LeFleur

Char@...

Hello everyone!! I will be short and sweet this

week. I am in the midst of a fibro flare and the

fog is abnormally thick and I am having trouble

wrapping my mind around the concept of writing a

column. I don't normally have problems thinking

of something to write about or what recipes to

use, but this week is an exception.

So I just going to use a couple of quick heart

smart recipes and call it column. See you next

week, when I will try to do better.

Sandwiches are a staple at my house. Some days,

I just don't have the energy to cook a big meal,

and fortunately my husband likes sandwiches,

Lean Beefburger Mixture

1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef

1/2 lb. ground turkey

1/3 C chopped raw onion

1/2 C catsup

1 tbs vinegar

1 tbs sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

Brown beef and turkey--drain fat. Add other

ingredients, cover, and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings. 217 calories per serving.

I use combinations of ground beef and turkey in

lots of my recipes that call for ground beef. You

cant tell it is not all beef.

Apple Raisin Spice Cookies

1C whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 T cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 C raisins, finely ground

2 T vegetable oil

1 egg white

1/4 C unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate

1/2 tsp maple flavoring

1/2 C pecan halves and pieces

1 small apple, coarsely ground

Mix dry ingredients. Add finely ground raisins

and mix well. Combine wet ingredients. Add to dry

ingredients and beat well. Reserve 36 pecan

quarters from 1/2 C of pecans. Chop remaining nuts

and add to mixture. Mix in coarsely ground apple.

Drop by level tablespoons onto ungreased cookie

sheet. Press pecan quarter into each cookie

center and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or

until bottoms are golden brown. Lightly cover cookies

with a towel for several hours or overnight.

Finished cookies will be moist and chewy.

If you have questions or comments regarding this

column, or you would like to contribute recipes,

please send them to Char@....

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U.S. Food and Drug Administration

FDA Consumer magazine

January-February 2002

(Part 2)

Losing Weight: More Than Counting Calories

By Bren

Increasing Physical Activity

Most health experts recommend a combination of a

reduced-calorie diet and increased physical

activity for weight loss. All adults should get at

least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on

most, and preferably all, days of the week. But

only 1 in 5 U.S. adults get the recommended amount

of physical activity, according to a 1996 Surgeon

General's report.

In addition to helping to control weight,

physical activity decreases the risk of dying from

coronary heart disease and reduces the risk of

developing diabetes, hypertension, and colon cancer.

Researchers also have found that daily physical

activity may help a person lose weight by partially

lessening the slow-down in metabolism that occurs

during weight loss.

Exercise does not have to be strenuous. Moving

any part of your body, regardless of how fast or

slow, is considered physical activity. And studies

show that short sessions of exercise several

times a day are just as effective at burning calories

and improving health as one long session.

To lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight

after weight loss, many adults will likely need to

do more than 30 minutes of moderate physical

activity daily.

Prescription Weight-Loss Drugs

For obese people who have difficulty losing

weight through diet and exercise alone, there are a

number of FDA-approved prescription drugs that may

help. " On average, individuals who use

weight-loss drugs lose about 5 percent to 10 percent of

their original weight, though some will lose less

and some more, " says the FDA's Colman.

All of the prescription weight-loss drugs work by

suppressing the appetite except for Xenical

(orlistat). Approved by the FDA in 1999, Xenical is

the first in a new class of anti-obesity drugs

known as lipase inhibitors. Lipase is the enzyme that

breaks down dietary fat for use by the body.

Xenical interferes with lipase function, decreasing

dietary fat absorption by 30 percent. Since

undigested fats are not absorbed, there is less calorie

intake, which may help in controlling weight. The

main side effects of Xenical are cramping,

diarrhea, flatulence, intestinal discomfort, and

leakage of oily stool.

Meridia (sibutramine), approved by the FDA in

1997, increases the levels of certain brain

chemicals that help reduce appetite. Because it may

increase blood pressure and heart rate, Meridia should

not be used by people with uncontrolled high

blood pressure, a history of heart disease,

congestive heart failure, irregular heartbeat, or stroke.

Other common side effects of Meridia include

headache, dry mouth, constipation and insomnia.

Other anti-obesity prescription drugs that were

approved by the FDA many years ago based on

short-term, limited data include: Bontril

(phendimetrazine tartrate), Desoxyn (methamphetamine) and

Ionamin and Adipex-P (phentermine). These drugs are

only to be taken for a few weeks.

" There is no magic pill for obesity, " says

Orloff, M.D., director of the FDA's division of

metabolic and endocrine drug products. " The best

effect you're going to get is with a concerted

long-term regimen of diet and exercise. If you

choose to take a drug along with this effort, it may

provide additional help. "

Until September 1997, two other drugs,

fenfluramine (Pondimin and others) and dexfenfluramine

(Redux), were available for treating obesity. But at

the FDA's request, the manufacturers of these

drugs voluntarily withdrew them from the market

after newer findings suggested that they were the

likely cause of heart valve problems. The FDA

recommended that people taking the drugs stop and that

they contact their doctor to discuss their

treatment. (For the latest information on this topic,

visit www.fda.gov/cder/news/feninfo.htm.)

Prescription weight-loss drugs are approved only

for those with a BMI of 30 and above, or 27 and

above if they have other risk factors, such as

high blood pressure or diabetes.

Beware of Unproven Claims

Some dietary supplement makers claim their

products work for weight loss. These products are not

reviewed by the FDA before they are marketed.

" Under our existing laws, manufacturers have the

responsibility for ensuring that their dietary

supplement products are safe and effective, " says

, Ph.D., R.D., director of the

FDA's office of nutritional products, labeling,

and dietary supplements.

Many weight-loss products claim to be " natural "

or " herbal, " but this does not necessarily mean

that they're safe. These ingredients may interact

with drugs or may be dangerous for people with

certain medical conditions. If you are unsure about

a product's claims or the safety of any

weight-loss product, check with your doctor before using

it.

Over-the-Counter Drugs

Over-the-counter (OTC) weight-control drugs

contain the active ingredient phenylpropanolamine,

which is also used as a nasal decongestant. The FDA

recently asked drug manufacturers to discontinue

marketing products containing

phenylpropanolamine, based on evidence linking the substance to an

increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in

the brain). In addition, the FDA issued a public

health advisory in November 2000, warning

consumers to stop using products containing this

ingredient.

The FDA is proposing to classify

phenylpropanolamine as " not generally recognized as safe, " and is

proceeding with regulatory actions that will

likely remove this ingredient from the market.

Worth the Effort

" Losing weight requires major lifestyle changes,

including diet and nutrition, exercise, behavior

modification, and--when appropriate--intervention

with drug therapy, " says Judith S. Stern, Sc.D.,

professor of nutrition and internal medicine at

the University of California, , and vice

president of the American Obesity Association. " But

it is always worth making the effort to improve

your health. "

Avoid 'Fad' Diets

The cabbage soup diet, the low-carbohydrate and

high-protein diet, and other so-called " fad " diets

are fundamentally different from federal

nutrition dietary guidelines and are not recommended for

losing weight.

Fad diets usually overemphasize one particular

food or type of food, contradicting the guidelines

for good nutrition, which recommend eating a

variety of foods. These diets may work at first

because they cut calories, but they rarely have a

permanent effect.

A high-protein diet is one fad diet that has

remained popular over the years. " High-protein items

may also be high in fat, " says Eckel,

M.D., professor of medicine at the University of

Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. High-fat

diets can raise blood cholesterol levels, which

increases a person's risk for heart disease and

certain cancers.

High-protein diets force the kidneys to try to

get rid of the excess waste products of protein and

fat, called ketones. A buildup of ketones in the

blood (called ketosis) can cause the body to

produce high levels of uric acid, which is a risk

factor for gout (a painful swelling of the joints)

and kidney stones. Ketosis can be especially risky

for people with diabetes because it can speed the

progression of diabetic renal disease, says

Eckel.

" It's important for the public to understand that

no scientific evidence supports the claim that

high-protein diets enable people to maintain their

initial weight loss, " says Eckel. " In general,

quick weight-loss diets don't work for most

people. "

Tips for Eating Out

Choose foods that are steamed, garden fresh,

broiled, baked, roasted, poached or stir-fried.

Share food, such as a main dish or dessert, with

your dining partner.

Take part of the food home with you, and

refrigerate immediately. You may want to ask for a

take-home container when the meal arrives. Spoon half

the meal into it, so you're more likely to eat

only what's left on your plate.

Request your meal to be served without gravy,

sauces, butter or margarine.

Ask for salad dressing on the side, and use only

small amounts of full-fat dressings.

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Notes and Insights:

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to: Donna, Ron , Tyre,

Cole, and na Reyes!

Check out all the birthdays at

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/birthday

and make sure to send them an arthritis-friendly

e-card:

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/cgi-bin/postcards/postcard.pl

You're Invited to a Cyber Baby Shower!

For: Wayney

When: February 12

Time: 8:30 Eastern

Where: The Arthritis Insight Chatroom of course!

For more info go to:

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/involved/

Join the Arthritis Dieters!

This is a group of people with arthritis who want

to lose weight with others who know of the

challenges of living with is arthritis. All those

medications that make living with arthritis tolerable,

but pile on the pounds. This group has been set

up to give us a protected group where we can talk

to others who know what it is like.

arthritis-dieters/

Gimpfest 2002

Washington DC, May 2-5, 2002

It's time to start thinking about the next big

gathering, if you haven't heard it's the

Washington, D. C. Gimpfest 2002 - meet your online friends

from A.S.A. (newsgroup - alt.support.arthritis)

and ArthritisInsight! For more information:

http://home.earthlink.net/~bdtaggart/DC/DC.html

Wanna help?

Having surgery? Starting a new drug or treatment?

Filing for disability? Keep an Arthritis Insight

journal so all of our members can share and learn

from your experience. If you want to keep a

journal just let us know.

Write an article!

We always need articles on all subjects relating

to arthritis. C'mon folks, we can't do this

without you.

Ken Akers Cheer Fund

Donations to the Ken Akers Cheer Fund will be

used to send flowers and gifts to those community

members who are hospitalized, flaring or just in

need of some good cheer.

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/community/kenscheerfund

Thank You!

A great big thank you to our Diamond Level

Corporate Benefactor, allaboutarthritis.com. Please

stop by their site and say hello!

http://allaboutarthritis.com

And another big thank you to NeedaBasket.com

(http://needabasket.com). NeedaBasket is now

Arthritis Insight's official gift basket company. They

are giving us a great discount and donating

baskets for our Arthritis Warriors. Tell them we sent

you and they will donate 20% of your purchase to

Arthritis Insight!

Glucosamine Clinical Trial:

BostonUniversity Medical Center is currently

testing Glucosamine for knee osteoarthritis in an

internet-based clinical research trial. Normally,

joining a clinical trial would mean going to a

study center for repeated appointments, but this

trial is carried out entirely over the internet. If

you qualify, you will participate for three months

by simply filling out online forms on your

experiences and taking a daily nutritional supplement

(either Glucosamine or a placebo), which will be

mailed to you by the center. If you are

interested, please visit the website:

http://etrials.bumc.bu.edu to see if you qualify.

Osteoarthritis Stories

A new website is under development and they are

looking for people to share their osteoarthritis

stories. If you are interested in sharing contact

sramsey@...

Special Offers for Arthritis Insight Members

Whenever possible we will try get to our sponsors

to agree to discounts and the like for our

members. Here are our current special offers:

Sore No More gel (http://www.sorenomore.com) will

send a free sample of the pain relieving gel to

any Arthritis Insight Community Member who emails

them at dma@...

---------------------------------

The AI Help Desk

Peck

@...

QUICKER ACCESS WITH IE FAVORITES

Here's a cool little trick MS Internet Explorer

users will like. If you're like me, you have WAY

too many favorites. You click your Favorites

folder and down drop hundreds of web sites. Well,

here's a little trick that'll help:

Click the " Favorites " menu then hit the first

letter of the favorite you're looking for. The

first item with that letter will be highlighted. If

that isn't the right favorite, tap the letter

again. The next favorite beginning with that letter

will be highlighted. Once you land on the

favorite you're trying to find, hit the Enter key.

And, no, this doesn't work with Netscape (big

shock there, huh?).

SEE ICONS EASIER

Do you have a difficult time reading the

description under your Desktop icons? Does the font seem

just a bit too small?

Well, not to worry. It's a snap to change it!

1. Right-click a blank area of your Desktop and

select Properties from the resulting menu.

2. Click the Appearance tab and select " Icon "

from the " Item " drop down box (should be the second

drop down box).

3. You should now see a " Font " drop down box

below the one you were just playing with. You can

adjust the size from the " Size " drop down box next

to it.

Just FYI - " Times New Roman " and " Arial " tend to

be a couple of the most " readable " fonts, so you

may want to change the font to one of those.

Finally, note that you can also adjust the size

of your desktop icons on that screen by using the

top " Size " box. So, if you want 'em bigger, just

arrow up. If you would prefer a smaller bunch of

icons, click the down arrow.

Who knew icons were this much fun?

THE X -10 AD!

Have you seen that incredible annoying X-10 ad?

It " pops under " the browser so it isn't in your

way when you're surfing. Trouble is, as soon as

you close your browser, there it sits.

I am soooooo sick of seeing that thing. The

Weather Channel's web site seems to pop this one up,

err, under, quite a bit, (not always though) so

if you're curious head to <http://www.weather.com>

and see for yourself. Maybe you'll get (un)lucky

and have a chance to see it.

Anyhow, if you're fed up with that little ad,

here's a link you'll be thanking me for:

<http://www.x10.com/x10ads.htm>

Click that puppy and scroll towards the bottom of

the page. You'll see a " Click Here " link that

will set a cookie in your browser so you won't get

an X-10 ad for the next 30 days. After that,

head back to the link and click the " Click Here "

link again.

Happy X-10 free surfing!

Source: Computer Tips & Techniques

http://www.worldstart.com

Copyright 2001, Worldstart - Reprinted with

permission.

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ThemeWorld:

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Debbie's Themes:

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Screens & Themes:

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Tootsie's Theme Shop:

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Themestress:

<http://www.themestress.com/>

Merimac Themes:

<http://www.merimacthemes.com/>

EZ Themes:

<http://ezthemes.iboost.com/sites.phtml>

Wulfert.Com

<http://www.wulfert.com/>

Galt Tech:

<http://www.galttech.com/desktop.shtml>

" Words are, of course, the most powerful drug

used by mankind. " - Rudyard Kipling

---------------------------------

Weekly News Summary

Sears

kaekae@...

More health news can be found on our site:

http://www.arthritisinsight.com/news/

PSORIATIC ARTHRITICS HAVE INCREASED ANTIBODIES TO

GLIADIN, COELIAC DISEASE

Patients with psoriatic arthritis have an

increased prevalence of serum antibodies to gliadin and

of coeliac disease.

Doctor's Guide, Jan 22 (free registration

required)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256B4400750A4B?O\

penDocument & id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F & c=Arthritis%20Other & count=10

PULSE STEROID THERAPY MAY REDUCE MACROPHAGE

ACTIVATION IN RHEUMATOID SYNOVIUM

Pulse methylprednisolone therapy reduces

expression of two beta-chemokines found in rheumatoid

synovial membranes without producing a fall in

macrophage numbers, according to a recent report. This

suggests that PMP therapy reduces macrophage

activation.

Medscape, Jan 21 (free registration required)

http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2002/01/01.22/20020121clin005.html

RHEUMATOLOGIC SEQUELAE LINKED WITH INDINAVIR

In the January ls of Rheumatic Diseases,

Belgium researchers describe four HIV-infected

patients who developed various rheumatologic disorders

while taking the protease inhibitor indinavir.

Medscape, Jan 21 (free registration required)

http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2002/01/01.22/20020121clin010.html

GENE THERAPY FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PROMISING

IN EARLY TRIALS

Preliminary research into a gene therapy

treatment for rheumatoid arthritis has yielded promising

results, indicating that it might be possible to

develop anti-inflammatory injections that need to

be given just once every few months, German

researchers report.

Medscape, Jan 21 (free registration required)

http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2002/01/01.22/20020121drgd001.html

DRUG HELPS MS FATIGUE

For the first time, researchers have found a way

to effectively reduce fatigue in patients with

multiple sclerosis.

Ivanhoe Newswire, Jan 21

http://www.ivanhoe.com/docs/newsflash/drughelpsmsfatigue.html

NERVE DAMAGE POSSIBLE WITH TWO ARTHRITIS DRUGS

In a small number of cases, certain arthritis

drugs have been associated with serious nervous

system problems, according to a recent report from

researchers at the US Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) and elsewhere in Washington, DC.

News, Jan 18

http://dailynews./h/nm/20020118/hl/nerves_1.html

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS RISING AMONG U.S. WOMEN:

REPORT

The number of US women living with multiple

sclerosis (MS) appears to have risen over the past two

decades, according to researchers at the US

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web

sites) (CDC).

News, Jan 18

http://dailynews./h/nm/20020118/hl/ms_1.html

SEVERITY OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS NOT INFLUENCED

BY HELICOBACTER PYLORI

Severity of rheumatoid arthritis does not appear

to be affected by Helicobacter pylori infection.

This study compared the clinical features and

gastroduodenal lesions of rheumatoid arthritis

patients with and without Helicobacter pylori

infection.

Doctor's Guide, Jan 18 (free registration

required)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256B4400756E42?O\

penDocument & id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F & c=Rheumatoid%20Arthritis & count=1\

0

SPINAL DISC DEGENERATION

That back pain may not be from the risk factors

that you think. A new study finds the common risk

factors such as previous back pain and

work-related injuries are not the only reason for disc

degeneration.

Ivanhoe Newswire, Jan 18

http://www.ivanhoe.com/docs/newsflash/spinaldiscdegeneration.html

SYSTEMIC AUTOIMMUNE ACTIVATION LINKED TO CORONARY

ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are much more common

among subjects who have severe coronary

atherosclerosis than among those who do not, according to

a recent report by British investigators.

Medscape, Jan 17 (free registration required)

http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2002/01/01.18/20020117clin002.html

GENE MUTATIONS UNIMPORTANT AS CAUSE OF COMMON

OSTEOARTHRITIS

Mutations in the type II collagen (COL2A1) or

vitamin D receptor (VDR) locus may not play an

important role in causing common osteoarthritis in the

overall population after all.

Doctor's Guide, Jan 17 (free registration

required)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256B3D00510BBA?O\

penDocument & id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F & c=Osteoarthritis & count=10

RADIOGRAPHIC ABNORMALITIES PREDICT PROGRESSION IN

KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

There is substantial risk of progression in

patients with knee osteoarthritis who have

radiographic abnormalities.

But, non-radiographic predictors of progression -

such as body mass index (BMI) - are weak

predictors of radiographic progression.

Doctor's Guide, Jan 17 (free registration

required)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256B3D0050E222?O\

penDocument & id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F & c=Osteoarthritis & count=10

IMPORTANT TO DETECT MINIMAL CLINICALLY IMPORTANT

DIFFERENCES IN OSTEOARTHRITIS

What can be called minimal clinically important

differences (MCID) can be assessed during

transition rehabilitation periods in patients with

osteoarthritis in the lower extremities.

Doctor's Guide, Jan 17 (free registration

required)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256B3D0050D083?O\

penDocument & id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F & c=Osteoarthritis & count=10

BRAIN SCAN MAY IDENTIFY EARLY SIGNS OF MS

A common imaging technique may help identify

patients in the early stages of multiple sclerosis

(MS) who are most at risk of serious long-term

complications, researchers report.

News, Jan 16

http://dailynews./h/nm/20020116/hl/scan_1.html

SLEEP ABNORMALITIES COMMON IN JUVENILE RHEUMATOID

ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

Patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

frequently experience sleep abnormalities, including

night wakings, parasomnias, sleep anxiety,

sleep-disordered breathing, morning wakening and daytime

sleepiness.

Doctor's Guide, Jan 16 (free registration

required)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256B3D0051351B?O\

penDocument & id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F & c=Pain & count=10

CYTOKINE SIGNALING BLOCKADE MAY SUPPRESS

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Modulation of the Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK)

STAT pathway via cytokine inducible suppressors

(CIS) and suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS)

may be an effective way to treat rheumatoid

arthritis, according to Japanese researchers.

Medscape, Jan 15 (free registration required)

http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2002/01/01.16/20020115scie003.html

EXERCISE MAY BOOST MOOD IN FIBROMYALGIA PATIENTS

Previous reports have suggested that exercise may

help ease the painful symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Now researchers report that exercise may also not

only help to lessen depression and anxiety among

individuals with the chronic condition, but

improve their walking speed as well.

News, Jan 16

http://dailynews./h/nm/20020116/hl/exercise_1.html

STRENGTH TRAINING MAY BE GOOD FOR OLDER BONES

Strengthening exercises may help healthy older

men and women preserve their bone mass, the results

of a small study suggest.

News, Jan 16

http://dailynews./h/nm/20020116/hl/bones_1.html

ANTI-TNF-ALPHA THERAPY FOR ARTHRITIS LINKED TO

DEMYELINATING CNS LESIONS

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) blockade

in patients with inflammatory arthritis may be a

risk factor for demyelinating CNS lesions or

other forms of white matter injury, US researchers

warn.

Medscape, Jan 16 (free registration required)

http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2002/01/01.17/20020116clin001.html

AHP, IMMUNEX GET FDA APPROVAL TO MARKET ENBREL

FOR PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

American Home Products Corp. subsidiary

Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories and Immunex Corporation jointly

said on Wednesday that they have received a

supplementary approval from the US Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) to market the arthritis therapy

Enbrel (etanercept) for the treatment of psoriatic

arthritis.

Medscape, Jan 16 (free registration required)

http://rheumatology.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2002/01/01.17/20020116rglt007.html

FDA APPROVES RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DRUG, ENBREL

(ETANERCEPT), FOR TREATMENT OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

Immunex Corporation and Wyeth-Ayerst

Laboratories, a division of American Home Products announced

today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) has approved EnbrelÆ (etanercept) to treat

people with psoriatic arthritis.

Doctor's Guide, Jan 16 (free registration

required)

http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256B43006B8A43?O\

penDocument & id=961CDD58B2967A7C852569E40007966F & c=Arthritis%20Other & count=10

-------------------------------

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A Closing Thought

The White Coat

Arrogance becomes you.

Your eyes scan the air

sitting in your chair

nose to the air.

How many years did you

spend learning

to become arrogant -

Was it nature's gift or

a learned practice?

I feel great pain in my head.

My words increase the pain.

Is the pain in my head

just in my head?

Where does it come from?

Perhaps a secret masochist desire.

You have that look in your eyes,

your thoughts cease in mid-stream.

Your mind has concluded.

The door slams shut.

The disbelief that

shrouds your face is

the drug you choose to

worsen my pain.

Why? Why me? I scream.

Make it stop! This barbed wire

inside my skull, tightening

around my brain.this pain

is just in my head!?

a Bader, 1999

---------------------------------