Measuring rheumatoid disease activity Archives | Page 2 of 4 | Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior

Measuring rheumatoid disease activity

10 Reasons We Might Want a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSUS) of a Joint

Kelly Young 24 Comments , ,
Back in 2009, dozens of phone calls revealed no one  in our area who could perform a musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS).  Today, worried about my son, I made calls again to orthopedists and hospitals. When I called the top medical centers in our region, I found one ultrasound technologist who had heard of MSUS and she...Continue reading      24 Comments » Read more

The HAQ’s, the RAPID’s & the Rest: 3 Reasons It’s a Moot Point

Kelly Young 43 Comments , ,
So often when I’m listening to a scientific presentation about clinical care for Rheumatoid Arthritis, I would do the face-palm head-smack, if my shoulder would let me. Depending on who can hear me, I mutter softly or wail sarcastically, “If it’s not done, does this matter?” One example is measuring RA disease activity, especially with...Continue reading      43 Comments » Read more

A Paradigm Shift in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity? Part 3

Kelly Young 59 Comments , , ,
In Part 1, we pointed out that patients and clinicians look at Rheumatoid Arthritis disease activity in different ways. Rheumatologists especially focus on joints, and actually particular kinds of joint activity. Patients face much more with regard to disease activity, as reflected in the post and comments page. In Part 2, we looked at two specific...Continue reading      59 Comments » Read more

A Paradigm Shift in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity? Part 2

Kelly Young 28 Comments , ,
In part 1 of A Paradigm Shift in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity, we considered some reasons why better ways of considering RA disease activity are needed. Ideally, three key things should be considered regarding RA disease activity: The patient’s estimation of his disease activity (more here). Appropriate monitoring using available tests (read more here!) A more complete paradigm...Continue reading      28 Comments » Read more

A Paradigm Shift in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity? Part 1

Kelly Young 66 Comments , ,
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis disease activity? People living with RA know it can affect them in unexpected ways that don’t involve joints. Just reading recent comments here, you can see people talking about these effects of RA: Drastic weight loss Frequent low-grade fevers Ruined teeth from dry mouth or autoimmune activity Heart or lung damage Depression Debilitating fatigue Various eye problems Speaking strictly of...Continue reading      66 Comments » Read more

A Methotrexate Alternative for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Kelly Young 30 Comments , ,
This molecule has “the potential to further improve the most successful principle of folate inhibition in the treatment” of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Folate antagonism has been the foundation of treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis for almost two decades. Methotrexate is used to inhibit the proliferation of inflammatory cells, probably at least in part by folate antagonism. There are...Continue reading      30 Comments » Read more

Using CRP in Criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials

Kelly Young 47 Comments , ,
To people with an incurable disease, clinical trials signify the possibility of a cure. Perhaps my suffering will end one day. Someone is looking for answers. Someday my prince will come. Research matters to patients Most patients I know read with interest headlines about their disease. They trust medications that have been recommended to them because of effectiveness...Continue reading      47 Comments » Read more

Nuclear Bone Scans for Rheumatoid Arthritis or Scintigraphy

Kelly Young 40 Comments , ,
Bone scans for Rheumatoid Arthritis that “Lit up like a Christmas tree”! Several patients have told me stories of having a nuclear bone scan (scintigraphy) that made a difference in their diagnosis or treatment. We know how much a reliable imaging tool is needed measuring disease activity for either reason. I’ve read about different versions of...Continue reading      40 Comments » Read more

Joint Examinations with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Kelly Young 51 Comments , ,
Today, I had scheduled a special good news list. It has to wait until next week – I can tell you why then. Good things come to those who wait – at least my mom told me that – so I hope so. How about the uncomfortable topic of joint examinations? As I said yesterday, there are...Continue reading      51 Comments » Read more

Measuring Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity

Kelly Young 23 Comments ,
Did you ever go to the store for milk and bananas? And come home with frozen pizza and ice cream? Sometimes I spend a couple of hours looking for something and discover something else that’s worth bringing back to you. That’s how I found this ten year old article about the dilemma of measuring Rheumatoid...Continue reading      23 Comments » Read more

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse: Was the Moon Really Red?

Kelly Young 7 Comments , ,
What would a lunar eclipse on the solstice be without my beloved camera? I pulled my thickest Redskins blanket over my head and went to sleep on the sofa with all of the lights on. The lunar eclipse on the winter solstice was a once in a lifetime event I would surely not miss. When I...Continue reading      7 Comments » Read more

Weight of Patient Reported Outcome Measures on Diagnosis & Treatment of RA

Kelly Young 19 Comments ,
Rheumatoid Arthritis Is the Only Major Disease in Which the Patient Largely Informs the Doctor A funny thing happened while we were at a poster session last week at ACR. The Georgia World Congress Center is like three 4-story shopping malls with a couple of theaters and secondary schools thrown in – it’s big. So, we...Continue reading      19 Comments » Read more
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