Chinese herbal remedy Triptergium wilfordii as good as methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis

Chinese herbal remedy as good as methotrexate for treating rheumatoid arthritis — And combination of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F plus methotrexate even better – A traditional Chinese herbal remedy used to relieve joint pain and inflammation works as well as methotrexate, a standard drug treatment that is frequently prescribed to control the symptoms of active rheumatoid arthritis, reveals researchers.

Rheumatoid arthritis increases heart attack risk 60%

Heart-attack risk increases rapidly after rheumatoid arthritis is diagnosed — Large-scale study reports 60 percent increase in risk just a year after diagnosis – The risk of having a heart attack is 60 per cent higher just a year after a patient has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, according to research published in the December issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

New rheumatoid arthritis criteria aim to recognise RA early

New rheumatoid arthritis criteria to stave off disabling disease for thousands of people — 2010 Rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria: an American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism collaborative initiative – New criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, could prevent thousands of people from developing disabling late stage disease, by redefining how RA should be classified.

Rheumatoid arthritis incidence on the rise in women

Rheumatoid arthritis incidence on the rise in women — Study suggests environmental factors may be cause of increase – The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in women has risen during the period of 1995 to 2007, according to a newly published study by researchers from the Mayo Clinic.

RA patients and doctors differ on disease severity assessment

Study shows RA patients and doctors differ on disease severity assessment — Depressed patients showed highest level of discord in evaluating their disease – A novel study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that nearly one-third of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients differed from their physicians in assessment of their disease severity.

Blood test can predict rheumatoid arthritis early

Blood test can predict rheumatoid arthritis before symptoms arise — Study confirms elevated cytokine levels are early indicator of disease – Researchers from University Hospital in Umea, Sweden, have identified several cytokines, cytokine-related factors, and chemokines that increase significantly prior to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease onset.

Actemra, tocilizumab approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis

FDA Approves ACTEMRA? (tocilizumab) for the Treatment of Moderately to Severely Active Rheumatoid Arthritis – Genentech, Inc. , a wholly owned member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ACTEMRA? (tocilizumab) for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonist therapies.

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