Guest guest Posted April 5, 2002 Report Share Posted April 5, 2002 Sharyn (Squeek) thanks so much. My daughter has RA so this is important news for her too! Makes me glad to know that metho is good. Who knows, we may both end up on the same meds! Love, Judy Methorexate This article was sent to me by one of my SBI support women (siliconebreast implant) I thought it would interesting for those of us whoare taking this drug.SharynRheumatoid Arthritis Drug May Extend SurvivalNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The drug methotrexate may not only treatrheumatoid arthritis, but could also help patients live longer,results of a new study suggest.US researchers found that among 1,240 patients seen at one arthritiscenter, methotrexate treatment was associated with a 60% lower riskof death during the study period. The drug appeared particularlyprotective against deaths from cardiovascular disease, the studyauthors report in the April 6th issue of The Lancet. Rheumatoidarthritis is a chronic disease marked by inflammation in the jointsthat causes pain, swelling and loss of mobility. It is an autoimmunedisease, meaning it arises from an abnormal immune system attack onthe body's own tissue. Methotrexate, which modulates immune systemactivity, can ease rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and slow the jointdamage. Aside from the joint damage, people with rheumatoidarthritis have been found to have a shorter-than-average lifeexpectancy, and may face a higher risk of death from cardiovasculardisease, infection and cancer, the report indicates. Whethermethotrexate treatment makes any difference in patients' death riskhas been unknown. "Our data indicate that methotrexate may provide asubstantial survival benefit, largely by reducing cardiovascularmortality," report Dr. Hyon K. Choi of Harvard Medical School inBoston, Massachusetts, and colleagues. The authors suggest thatmethotrexate's protection against cardiovascular deaths may stemfrom its effects on inflammation, which is believed to play a rolein artery disease. "Our data raise a further intriguing possibilitythat methotrexate reduces rheumatoid arthritis activity andcardiovascular mortality by suppressing some of these shared(inflammatory) mechanisms," Choi's team writes. Of the 1,240 studypatients, nearly 600 were put on methotrexate at some point.Overall, these patients were in worse shape than those who neverstarted the drug. But when the investigators accounted for this,patients on methotrexate were 60% less likely to die of any causeover an average of 6 years of follow-up. They were 70% less likelyto die of cardiovascular disease, specifically. Overall, 191patients died during the study. If methotrexate does offer asurvival benefit, the researchers point out, that would "set astandard" against which similar rheumatoid arthritis drugs could becompared.gigi*http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story & cid=594 & ncid=751 & e=6 & u=/nm/20020405/hl_nm/arthritis_drug_1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 5, 2002 Report Share Posted April 5, 2002 HI Judy, Sharyn isn't squeek, I am! Also Sharon, but I guess you could call me Sharon the first since when I joined there were no other Sharon's in the group at that time. I am the Sharon (squeek) who lives in Oregon very close to Glenda. Sharyn lives in Florida, and the new Sharon....well, I don't know where she lives yet. I became squeek to save confusion, and becuase of the Remicade being made with mouse proteins. Now, are you thoroughly confused....I am! Love squeek aka Sharon from OR. --- Judith Ostry wrote: > Sharyn (Squeek) thanks so much. My daughter has RA > so this is important news for her too! Makes me > glad to know that metho is good. Who knows, we may > both end up on the same meds! Love, Judy > > Methorexate > > This article was sent to me by one of my SBI support > women (silicone > breast implant) I thought it would interesting for > those of us who > are taking this drug. > > Sharyn > > > Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug May Extend Survival > > > > > > NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The drug methotrexate > may not only treat > rheumatoid arthritis, but could also help patients > live longer, > results of a new study suggest. > > > US researchers found that among 1,240 patients seen > at one arthritis > center, methotrexate treatment was associated with a > 60% lower risk > of death during the study period. The drug appeared > particularly > protective against deaths from cardiovascular > disease, the study > authors report in the April 6th issue of The Lancet. > Rheumatoid > arthritis is a chronic disease marked by > inflammation in the joints > that causes pain, swelling and loss of mobility. It > is an autoimmune > disease, meaning it arises from an abnormal immune > system attack on > the body's own tissue. Methotrexate, which modulates > immune system > activity, can ease rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and > slow the joint > damage. Aside from the joint damage, people with > rheumatoid > arthritis have been found to have a > shorter-than-average life > expectancy, and may face a higher risk of death from > cardiovascular > disease, infection and cancer, the report indicates. > Whether > methotrexate treatment makes any difference in > patients' death risk > has been unknown. " Our data indicate that > methotrexate may provide a > substantial survival benefit, largely by reducing > cardiovascular > mortality, " report Dr. Hyon K. Choi of Harvard > Medical School in > Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues. The authors > suggest that > methotrexate's protection against cardiovascular > deaths may stem > from its effects on inflammation, which is believed > to play a role > in artery disease. " Our data raise a further > intriguing possibility > that methotrexate reduces rheumatoid arthritis > activity and > cardiovascular mortality by suppressing some of > these shared > (inflammatory) mechanisms, " Choi's team writes. Of > the 1,240 study > patients, nearly 600 were put on methotrexate at > some point. > Overall, these patients were in worse shape than > those who never > started the drug. But when the investigators > accounted for this, > patients on methotrexate were 60% less likely to die > of any cause > over an average of 6 years of follow-up. They were > 70% less likely > to die of cardiovascular disease, specifically. > Overall, 191 > patients died during the study. If methotrexate does > offer a > survival benefit, the researchers point out, that > would " set a > standard " against which similar rheumatoid arthritis > drugs could be > compared. > gigi* > > http://story.news.yahoo.com/news? > tmpl=story & cid=594 & ncid=751 & e=6 & u=/nm/20020405/hl_nm/arthritis_drug_1 > > > > > > > > > DISCLAIMER!! > WE ARE NOT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, THEREFORE ANY > INFORMATION THAT IS RECEIVED HERE IS FROM EXPERIENCE > ONLY. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING > ANYTHING THAT IS SUGGESTED. WE ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE > FOR YOUR PHYSICIAN AND ARE NOT TRYING TO BE. > REMEMBER EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND TREATMENT MAYBE > DIFFERENT FOR MANY OF US. THANK YOU > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2002 Report Share Posted April 8, 2002 Well, I certainly am! Everything is now as clear as mud! I think we need lists....yeah, I know, more lists! But this is really getting confusing! We need lists of those we are saying prayers for and those who need to be added to that list. Just a nice little print out would work wonders for the terminally confused! Help! Love, Judy Methorexate>> This article was sent to me by one of my SBI support> women (silicone> breast implant) I thought it would interesting for> those of us who> are taking this drug.>> Sharyn>>> Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug May Extend Survival>>>>>> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The drug methotrexate> may not only treat> rheumatoid arthritis, but could also help patients> live longer,> results of a new study suggest.>>> US researchers found that among 1,240 patients seen> at one arthritis> center, methotrexate treatment was associated with a> 60% lower risk> of death during the study period. The drug appeared> particularly> protective against deaths from cardiovascular> disease, the study> authors report in the April 6th issue of The Lancet.> Rheumatoid> arthritis is a chronic disease marked by> inflammation in the joints> that causes pain, swelling and loss of mobility. It> is an autoimmune> disease, meaning it arises from an abnormal immune> system attack on> the body's own tissue. Methotrexate, which modulates> immune system> activity, can ease rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and> slow the joint> damage. Aside from the joint damage, people with> rheumatoid> arthritis have been found to have a> shorter-than-average life> expectancy, and may face a higher risk of death from> cardiovascular> disease, infection and cancer, the report indicates.> Whether> methotrexate treatment makes any difference in> patients' death risk> has been unknown. "Our data indicate that> methotrexate may provide a> substantial survival benefit, largely by reducing> cardiovascular> mortality," report Dr. Hyon K. Choi of Harvard> Medical School in> Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues. The authors> suggest that> methotrexate's protection against cardiovascular> deaths may stem> from its effects on inflammation, which is believed> to play a role> in artery disease. "Our data raise a further> intriguing possibility> that methotrexate reduces rheumatoid arthritis> activity and> cardiovascular mortality by suppressing some of> these shared> (inflammatory) mechanisms," Choi's team writes. Of> the 1,240 study> patients, nearly 600 were put on methotrexate at> some point.> Overall, these patients were in worse shape than> those who never> started the drug. But when the investigators> accounted for this,> patients on methotrexate were 60% less likely to die> of any cause> over an average of 6 years of follow-up. They were> 70% less likely> to die of cardiovascular disease, specifically.> Overall, 191> patients died during the study. If methotrexate does> offer a> survival benefit, the researchers point out, that> would "set a> standard" against which similar rheumatoid arthritis> drugs could be> compared.> gigi*>> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?>tmpl=story & cid=594 & ncid=751 & e=6 & u=/nm/20020405/hl_nm/arthritis_drug_1>>>>>>>>> DISCLAIMER!!> WE ARE NOT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, THEREFORE ANY> INFORMATION THAT IS RECEIVED HERE IS FROM EXPERIENCE> ONLY. PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE TRYING> ANYTHING THAT IS SUGGESTED. WE ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE> FOR YOUR PHYSICIAN AND ARE NOT TRYING TO BE.> REMEMBER EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND TREATMENT MAYBE> DIFFERENT FOR MANY OF US. THANK YOU>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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