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Are you at risk for GOUT? It has been shown that men who drink two sugar-sweetened soft drinks per day are at an 85% greater risk of suffering from GOUT. This comes from the British Medical Journal and reveals that the fructose in soft drinks raises blood levels of uric acid, the crystals then settle into the joints and inflame them. So, if you have gout along with the list of limit or eliminate (beer, red meat, yeast, and oily fish) you can add soft drinks!
Depression in Arthritis Patients: According to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, patients with rheumatoid arthritis are twice as likely to experience depression but are unlikely to talk to a doctor about it. Depression studies have been well documented over the years, but this is the first study that is specific to Arthritis patients. If the subject is brought up, it usually comes from the patient not the doctor. The outcome of this study recommends that physicians, both primary and rheumatologists take steps to screen patients for signs of depression and make recommendations from there to which is the best approach to help their patient live well.
New Estimates for Specific forms of Arthritis: A new CDC (the National Center for Disease Control) study has been released that reaffirms that nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults – 46 million people – have arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability. By the year 2030, an estimated 67 million people will be affected by arthritis per the study.
Other key findings include:
- Rheumatoid arthritis is actually decreasing, with 1.3 million adults affected, down from 2.1 million in 1990.
- Gout, is up to 3 million from 2.1 million in 1990.
- Children with arthritis or other rheumatologic conditions are estimated at 294,000 children under 18 years of age (1 in 250 children). This study was prompted by a portion of the (proposed) Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure act of 2004 which called for better determining the size of the childhood arthritis problem.
Cod Liver Oil Reduces Painkiller Use: According to the Daily Mail Two teaspoons of cod liver oil can cut the number of powerful painkillers needed to ease the pain of arthritis. These findings are important because the long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs “can double the threat of heart attack and raise the risk of strokes and heart disease”. Although cod liver oil supplements may be worth considering by some with RA, patients should definitely talk with their doctor before making any drastic changes in the medicines that they take.
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