Psoriatic Arthritis - New Drug Offers Relief
Around 7.5 million Americans, which is about 2.2% of the population, suffer from psoriaris, an autoimmune disease causing red, flaky skin. A new review in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (JAAOS) reveals that patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a type of arthritis that affects nearly 48% of patients with the skin disease psoriasis, gain substantial benefits from medications or biologic agents that target T-cells, white blood cells involved in the body's immune system.
Massage Found To Reduce Inflammation Following Strenuous Exercise
Most athletes can testify to the pain-relieving, recovery-promoting effects of massage. Now there's a scientific basis that supports booking a session with a massage therapist: On the cellular level massage reduces inflammation and promotes the growth of new mitochondria in skeletal muscle. The research, involving scientists from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario appears in the online edition of Science Translational Medicine. The study involved the genetic analysis of muscle biopsies taken from the quadriceps of eleven young males after they had exercised to exhaustion on a stationary bicycle.
Proton Pump Inhibitors Raise Fracture Risk In Older Women
According to an investigation published on bmj.com, hip fractures are 35% more likely to occur in post-menopausal women if they take indigestion medications, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). This figure rises to 50% if the women are former or current smokers. Globally, PPIs are one of the most prevalent drugs used, and are often used to treat acid reflex and heartburn. However, PPIs can prevent calcium absorption, which leads to the increased risk of fractures. From 2000 to 2008, researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital examined the link between hip fractures and PPIs in just under 80, 000 post-menopausal women.