http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The research teams headed by Prof. Johanna Ivaska (University of Turku and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland) and Prof. Marko Salmi (University of Turku and the National Institute for Health and Welfare) have discovered that the SHARPIN protein regulates human cell activity. http://phys.org/news240660757.html Biology Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:12:48 EST news240660757 (AP) -- Pfizer Inc. confirmed that one patient who was taking its drug candidate tofacitinib, a pill designed to treat rheumatoid arthritis, died during a recent clinical trial and said the death was connected to the drug. http://phys.org/news222697159.html Medicine & Health Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:19:32 EST news222697159 Depressed and suicidal individuals have low levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood and saliva. They also have substances in their spinal fluid that suggest there is increased inflammation in the brain. These findings could help to develop new methods for diagnosing and treating suicidal patients. http://phys.org/news210254063.html Medicine & Health Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:54:35 EST news210254063 Patients with joint problems such as rheumatism or arthritis who are discharged from hospital often require a significant recovery time before they return to a reasonable degree of mobility. Yvette Bulthuis of the University of Twente IBR Research Institute for Social Sciences and Technology, The Netherlands, researched the effect that an intensive, three-week training programme in a resort would have on these patients. The results show that this multidisciplinary method not only improves physical condition, mobility, functioning and quality of life in both the short and long term, but that it is also no more expensive than traditional approaches to recovery. http://phys.org/news209749124.html Medicine & Health Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:50:04 EST news209749124 The American College of Rheumatology today announced the release of revised classification criteria (created in collaboration with the European League Against Rheumatism) for rheumatoid arthritis, which will allow the study of treatments for RA at much earlier stages of the disease—before joint damage occurs—ultimately leading to better patient outcomes. http://phys.org/news200658347.html Medicine & Health Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:26:06 EST news200658347 An immune cell known to cause chronic inflammation in autoimmune disorders has been identified as a possible culprit in low back pain associated with herniated discs, according to doctors at Duke University Medical Center. http://phys.org/news196952648.html Medicine & Health Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:03 EST news196952648 For healthcare professionals diagnosing primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS, an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy moisture-producing glands), the incidence of blood based deficiencies is the strongest predictor of a poor outcome in patients according to the results of a study presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. The study also showed that liver and lung involvement and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) development were also related to an increased mortality in pSS patients. http://phys.org/news196090872.html Medicine & Health Sat, 19 Jun 2010 03:00:01 EST news196090872 Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients face a two-fold increased risk of suffering a Myocardial Infarction (MI, heart attack) versus the general population, which is comparable to the increased risk of MI seen in diabetes patients, according to results of a new study presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. http://phys.org/news196074710.html Medicine & Health Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:20:01 EST news196074710 There is significant disparity between 'richer' and 'poorer' countries in terms of access to biological treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to results from a multinational study across four continents presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. Furthermore, findings from a separate study show that RA patients report the severity of their disease in the same way, irrespective of the country where they live. http://phys.org/news196073565.html Medicine & Health Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:10:01 EST news196073565 Two separate studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with a range of rheumatic diseases, with over half of all patients having below the 'normal' healthy levels of vitamin D (48-145 nmol/L) in their bodies. A further study assessing response to vitamin D supplementation found that taking the recommended daily dose did not normalise vitamin D levels in rheumatic disease patients. The results of these three studies were presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. http://phys.org/news196073454.html Medicine & Health Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:51:14 EST news196073454 Partners of patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are equally emotionally affected by the diagnosis and go through the same grieving process as the patients themselves, according to the results of a study presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. http://phys.org/news196062376.html Medicine & Health Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:20:01 EST news196062376 Smoking cigarettes is a significant risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may have a negative impact on the effectiveness of anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) inhibitors in RA patients taking these treatments, according to results of two studies presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. A further study has shown that smoking interferes with the expression of several genes which, when over-expressed can contribute to processes which exacerbate disease activity. http://phys.org/news195988112.html Medicine & Health Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:40:01 EST news195988112 Almost three quarters (72%) of women with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) suffer pain daily, despite the fact that three quarters (75%) receive pain relief medication, according to a new study presented today at EULAR 2010, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Rome, Italy. Furthermore the physical pain appears to affect women to such an extent that it impacts negatively on emotional and social aspects of their lives. http://phys.org/news195901901.html Medicine & Health Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:50:05 EST news195901901 New research has identified biomarkers associated with inflammation and progression in joint erosion in individuals with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to the results of a new study presented at EULAR 2009, the Annual Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism in Copenhagen, Denmark. The researchers suggest a potential role for these biomarkers in the monitoring of ongoing disease activity through assessing inflammation and joint destruction, two important targets for the treatment of early RA. http://phys.org/news164279589.html Medicine & Health Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:00:01 EST news164279589 In-growth and new generation of blood vessels, which must take place if a wound is to heal or a tumor is to grow, have been thought to occur through a branching and further growth of a vessel against a chemical gradient of growth factors. Now a research team at Uppsala University and its University Hospital has shown that mechanical forces are considerably more important than was previously thought. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, open up a new field for developing treatments. http://phys.org/news163071316.html Medicine & Health Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:36:10 EST news163071316