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--- Rheumatoid Arthritis Attacks the Heart
Hi Roman,, That is a good article and something that people with RA like myself have know for a long long time. Another type disease like RA is called Lupus where a person organs are attacked much more than a person with regular RA. I am 65 and have had immune system problem since I was 38 and under a RDs care since I was 45. There has been some improvement in life expectancy. Back when,,, it was 15 years less than a normal person and only 10 less in your study. My reason for saying all this is that I am living proof that a person can live a good, full life with today's medicine and a good RD to control a persons immune system. A person does not have to live each day in pain or in a wheelchair if they get the right help and use today's medicine and doctors. Harv "Roman Bystrianyk" > "Rheumatoid Arthritis Attacks the Heart", Atlanta Journal - > Constitution, February 3, 2005, > Link: > http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/rhar/523796.html > > A new study confirms the strong link between rheumatoid arthritis and > life-endangering congestive heart failure. > > The 165 Minnesota residents in the study with rheumatoid arthritis were > twice as likely to develop heart failure over a 15-year period than 116 > residents of similar age and gender who did not have the autoimmune > disease. > > The findings by Mayo Clinic researchers appear in the February issue of > Arthritis and Rheumatism. > > Other studies have demonstrated the same link, said study author Dr. > Paulo Nicola, a Mayo research fellow. "This one followed patients from > the beginning of the disease, describing how the increase in > heart-failure risk was present in the early stages and throughout." > > Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the body mistakenly attacks > its own tissues, causing painful inflammation and loss of joint > function. While the study was not designed to address the reason for an > increase in heart failure -- a condition in which the heart > progressively loses its ability to pump blood -- "several studies in > the general population suggest that inflammation may be a direct cause > of heart failure," Nicola said. > > The study did show the need for aggressive treatment of risk factors > for heart disease and stroke, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, > in people with rheumatoid arthritis, he said. > > "The clinician should be aware of the higher risk of heart failure and > look for the early symptoms of heart failure even in people without > cardiovascular risk factors," Nicola said. "Treatment should be focused > not only on the rheumatoid condition, but also on control of those risk > factors." > > The severity of arthritis in individual patients must also be taken > into account, said Dr. William S. Wilke, a rheumatologist at the > Cleveland Clinic. > > "A more active rheumatoid disease is a sign of greater risk of heart > disease," he said. "If we treat people aggressively with medications > such as methotrexate and tumor necrosis factor, we can significantly > reduce the risk of heart disease." > > While rheumatoid arthritis always requires constant treatment, "this > problem has a lot to do with how active the disease is," Wilke said. > "If we don't control arthritis aggressively from the start, it's going > to eventually show not only a bad outcome of the disease but also bad > outcomes all over the place." > > The report "highlights rheumatoid arthritis as a potentially > life-threatening condition," said Dr. John H. Klippel, president and > CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. > > "We've certainly become aware of cardiovascular disease as a risk > factor for premature death in rheumatoid arthritis," Klippel said. > "People with rheumatoid arthritis have a life expectancy of roughly a > decade less than those without the disease. At least one study has > suggested that if one can get inflammation under control, there is > increased survival." > > The inflammation that attacks the joints in rheumatoid arthritis is > believed to foster the process in which fatty plaques in the walls of > arteries burst, releasing clots that can block the blood vessels. >
you shouldn't top post! please! see my comments below bout the content. i did this to emphasize usenet style. In article Harvey R. Stone :Hi Roman,, That is a good article and something that people with RA like :myself have know for a long long time. Another type disease like RA is :called Lupus where a person organs are attacked much more than a person with :regular RA. : I am 65 and have had immune system problem since I was 38 and under a :RDs care since I was 45. There has been some improvement in life :expectancy. Back when,,, it was 15 years less than a normal person and only :10 less in your study. My reason for saying all this is that I am living :proof that a person can live a good, full life with today's medicine and a :good RD to control a persons immune system. A person does not have to live :each day in pain or in a wheelchair if they get the right help and use :today's medicine and doctors. :Harv : i believe that those of us who have been on nsaids since our diagnosis of ra class disease have a strong benefit from the anti-inflammatory nature of these drugs. there have been many studies showing that aspirin in small quantities is good for the heart and cardio-vascular problems in general. i have long felt that those of us on at least some nsaids gain the same protection as the aspirin takers. inflamation is inflamation, no matter where and how it occurs. so, although both my parents died at 77 of cardio-vascular problems, i am approaching 81 with 27 years of nsaid treatment behind me (tolmetin for ankylosing spondylitis and recently indomethycin for gout). i can't be sure that it is not genetics, but, with my parent's experience, it seems likely. tests showed for instance that the brain circulation via the carotid artery passes through arteries which are free of all plaque. seems unlikely that this is due to heredity, and possibly it is due to the nsaid treatments. no one has been willing to pay for the studies which would validate this hypothesis. i started treatment before the dmards came to medical practice, so i didn't ever use them. can't hypothesize about their possible benefit in this direction. -- getting out of bed in the morning is an act of false confidence - jules feifer to email me, delete blackhole. from my return address
"arthur wouk" news:1107458940.424687@irys.nyx.net... > you shouldn't top post! please! see my comments below bout the > content. > > i did this to emphasize usenet style. > Hi AW,,,,, LOLOL It may be your usenet style but I will do both every now and then and what I had to say,,,, I believe in and the way it was for me. It is good to see your post and I am glad you are still kicking around. It has been quite awhile since I have seen one of your posts in MHA. Harv Related Discussion: Program Links Diabetic Kids With Doctors (1 posts) Excerpt: Gold Coast Diet Serves Hope for MS (34 posts) ADVERTISEMENT (2 posts) Re: Pseudogout (1 posts) Top Discussions From Our Archives SAVE up to 80% on Dental, Prescriptions, Vision and Chiropractic Other Discussion Categories Diabetes Symptoms
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