Arthritis Research | Arthritis Information

I just received the March copy of Joint Health Monthly, a publication from Arthritis Consumer Experts. The March issue is a report on the 2007 ACR (American College of Rheumatology) meeting held in Boston. The ACR meeting is held yearly with "the best arthritis researchers in the world coming together to share the latest and most ground-breaking research, to learn from each other and to exchange ideas about how to advance scientific discoveries to improve the lives of people living with arthritis around the world.

• drug safety and effectiveness
• alternative therapies
• pain
• pregnancy issues and fertility
• issues specific to many of the more than 100 different types of arthritis

Tremendous gains in arthritis knowledge were reported, including:

• new molecules involved in inflammatory arthritis
• improved knowledge around prevention strategies in osteoarthritis
• identification of new risk factors ffor developing several types of arthritis
• new strategies for early detection of many forms of arthritis
• better unsderstanding of the role played by vitamin and mineral supplements in people with arthritis
• the effectiveness of accupuncture in both OA and RA and other complementary and alternative treatments
• new devices to help people living with arthritis with their daily tasks, both in the home and at work
• impact that arthritis and disability has on people with the disease, their families, friends, and the workplace
• costs of arthritis and its impact on economies and health-care systems
• new, improved ways for physicians to communicate with patients." (ACE)

Here's something that's interesting. "In the area of non-medical treatments:

• several studies reported the finding that a lack of Vitamin D was common RA patients (including young children).
• Vitamin D deficiency was related to increased pain and difficulty performing activities of daily living.
• Low vitamin D levels were also found to be associated with greater pain and problems of mobility in people with knee osteoarthritis
• The common conclusion across all studies on vitamin D was that further studies on the role of vitamin D in mediating arthritis pain and symptoms is needed." (ACE)