Archive for September, 2011
A Weighty Subject: Knee Osteoarthritis Worse in Heavier People
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A Weighty Subject: Knee Osteoarthritis Worse in Heavier People
Even a modest weight loss improves the symptoms
Clearwater, Florida - That beer belly and those thunder thighs you’re trying to get rid of can translate to more pain in the knees. Severely obese people are more than nine times more likely to have knee pain from osteoarthritis than those who are of normal weight, according to a study of almost 600 people with osteoarthritis.
Researchers used the World Health Organization’s Body Mass Index (BMI) scale to categorize subjects as Pre-Obese, Obese I, Obese II and Obese III. (BMI is calculated as weight divided by height squared and is used for both men and women.) Those in the Obese I category were twice as likely to have knee pain. The risks increased to four times for Obese II people and to 9.2 for Obese III subjects. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obesity by the National Institutes of Health.
“We found that even losing a small amount of weight—10 pounds or so—can improve knee pain from osteoarthritis,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and the executive director of the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA). “We can’t modify the height part of the BMI equation, but even a modest weight reduction can help aching knees feel better.”
Osteoarthritis, which is the “wear and tear” form of arthritis, affects 27 million Americans after the age of 50. The study that correlates the effects of obesity in the peer-reviewed journal Musculoskeletal Disorders. With Dr. Wilder, the paper’s second author was Matthew W. Rogers, a doctoral candidate who is also ARIA’s director of exercise.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Time to Put Another Exercise Excuse to Rest
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Time to Put Another Exercise Excuse to Rest
Exercise won’t make your stiff, aching feet feel worse
Clearwater, Florida - Couch potatoes will have one fewer excuse not to hit the bike or the treadmill for exercise: research by a Clearwater not-for-profit that researches osteoarthritis indicates that exercise won’t make aching feet feel worse.
A study by the Arthritis Research Institute of America concluded that a regular exercise program doesn’t worsen the pain and stiffness of foot osteoarthritis. X-rays of study subjects ranging in age from 40 to 91 found very little evidence that those with foot osteoarthritis felt more pain or had more damage in their feet if they were active. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association.
ARIA’s study was written by Frances V. Wilder, Ph.D, John P. Barrett, MD and Matthew Rogers, MS. Dr. Wilder is ARIA’s executive director, Dr. Barrett is an orthopedic surgeon and ARIA’s founder as well as the president of its board of directors. Mr. Rogers is a doctoral candidate and ARIA’s director of exercise.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Another Reason to Help Mom Around the House
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Another Reason to Help Mom Around the House
Older women have a higher risk of hand osteoarthritis
Clearwater, Florida - Remember how Mom told you she worked her fingers to the bone for you? She was probably right. Research on women and hand osteoarthritis shows that stiff, aching hands are indeed more common in older women than in older men.
A study of more than 3,000 men and women by the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) found that hand osteoarthritis was more prevalent in women. The index finger was affected in 35 percent of the subjects, with 21 percent having osteoarthritis in their thumbs and 18 percent in the middle finger.
“Considering our findings that older women have a higher risk of osteoarthritis, we might consider getting our mothers gifts like jar openers and other hand-friendly tools instead of flowers,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, one of the study’s researchers and ARIA’s executive director. ARIA’s Director of Exercise, Matthew Rogers, was the co-author.
Osteoarthritis, which is the “wear and tear” form of arthritis, affects 27 million Americans after the age of 50. The study that correlates the effects of obesity in the peer-reviewed international journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Exercise: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
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Exercise: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Sticking with an exercise program increases relief from osteoarthritis pain
Clearwater, Florida - Sticking with an exercise program is a good idea for cardiovascular health, but it’s also valuable as pain relief from osteoarthritis. A study of 109 adults older than 40 found that those who stuck with their exercise regimen reported a 7.8 percent decrease in their osteoarthritis pain after the first year and a 10.7 percent decrease in pain after their second year of exercising.
The average age of the study participants was 74 and all had osteoarthritis. They exercised three times a week with a fitness trainer in sessions designed to increase joint flexibility, muscle strength and endurance. Participants did warm-ups and aerobic sessions on a stationary bike or treadmill in addition to weight resistance exercise.
The research points to the value of regular exercise as part of a sound treatment plan for osteoarthritis, according to the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA), the Clearwater, FL not-for-profit organization that completed the study.
“We’ve heard the cliché that ‘motion is lotion’ and, in this case, we can see that those who continued being active reaped a huge benefit from sticking with exercise,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and ARIA’s executive director. “An active lifestyle can ease the pain and immobility of osteoarthritis for the millions of sufferers who are looking for relief from their symptoms.”
Osteoarthritis, which is the “wear and tear” form of arthritis, affects 27 million Americans after the age of 50. The study that correlates the effects of obesity in the peer-reviewed Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL., but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Bad News and (Bad Knees) for Ex-Jocks
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Bad News and (Bad Knees) for Ex-Jocks
Clearwater, Florida - Men with knee injuries have nine times the risk of knee osteoarthritis.
Weekend warriors and ex-jocks, beware! That knee you injured catching the game-winning touchdown or water-skiing at Cypress Gardens could come back to haunt you in later years.
Serious knee injuries make older adults seven times more likely to develop osteoarthritis at that joint than adults who have never had a knee injury. The risk is higher for men, who are nine times more likely to have knee osteoarthritis if they’ve been injured there, according to a study by a Clearwater, FL research institute that had more than 1,400 subjects older than 40.
“Even after considering age, gender, weight and activity level, we found that old injuries to your knees increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis at that same site,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, one of the study’s authors and the executive director of the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA). “People with severe knee injuries should be aware of the risks years after their injuries have healed.”
Osteoarthritis, which is the “wear and tear” form of arthritis, affects 27 million Americans after the age of 50. The study that correlates knee injuries and knee osteoarthritis was published in the international journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage by ARIA, which has been studying osteoarthritis since 1988. With Dr. Wilder, the paper’s co-authors were Betty J. Hall, RN, John P. Barrett, MD and Nancy Lemrow, MA.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Are Mom and Pop Responsible for Your Aching Knees?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Are Mom and Pop Responsible for Your Aching Knees?
A collaboration between Clearwater researchers and a college in the UK could find the answer
Clearwater, Florida - Clearwater’s Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) is partnering with Kings College in London on a groundbreaking project to study osteoarthritis (OA), the “wear and tear” form of arthritis that affects 27 million Americans older than 50.
ARIA’s database contains information about OA from more than 3,700 study subjects over the course of two decades. Its Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study was modeled after the famous Framingham Heart Study that outlined the risk factors for heart disease.
Kings College will use ARIA’s database to study the role that heredity plays in whether adults develop OA later in life. ARIA study participants who agree to send DNA samples will take part in the Kings College project. Those who volunteer will receive swab kits to provide DNA samples from saliva.
“We are proud of this partnership with Kings College, which considered our extensive database to be a one-of-a-kind source of information about OA,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, ARIA’s executive director. “OA research revolves around two areas: wearing and tearing joints and the role of heredity. This project will contribute to our knowledge about the role of heredity on OA.”
The project is called Treat-OA (Transitional Research in Europe Applied Technologies for Osteoarthritis, http://www.treatoa.eu/) and is funded by the Seventh Framework Programme, the European Union’s chief instrument for funding research during 2007-2013. ARIA is receiving $25,000 from the consortium to fund its DNA collection project. ARIA participants who choose to take part in the DNA study will remain anonymous in the Kings College study.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Use it, Lose it or Take a Pill for it
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Use it, Lose it or Take a Pill for it
Adults taking arthritis pain medications more likely to give up on exercise
Clearwater, Florida - Why huff and puff on a stationary bike or stumble out of bed to take a walk when you can take pain medication for the stiff, aching joints caused by osteoarthritis (OA)? Unfortunately, some adults with OA find it easier to stick with pain medications than with an exercise program to manage their symptoms.
Although other studies have shown that regular exercise can reduce an osteoarthritis sufferer’s reliance on medication alone to treat their symptoms, research subjects who took medications for their OA symptoms were four times more likely to drop out of a two-year exercise program than those who weren’t taking medicines for pain. The 143 study subjects ranged in age from 49 to 90 years old, with 65 percent 70 and older.
“We looked at subjects taking medications for their OA symptoms, whether it was a prescription drug or an over-the-counter remedy,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and the executive director of the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA), the Clearwater, FL organization that completed the study. “These findings can certainly help exercise professionals identify those individuals who have a higher risk of abandoning a fitness program.
ARIA’s study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Physical Therapy. It was written by Dr. Wilder and John P. Barrett, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who is ARIA’s founder and the president of its board of directors.
Arthritis is a group of different diseases whose symptoms can range from and conditions, its symptoms can range from stiff joints to complete immobility and pain. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, the “wear and tear” type that affects more than 27 million Americans after the age of 50 as their joints begin to age.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742