News

Most treatments for Osteoporosis only slow bone loss, but a new finding may provide new hope for the 10 million Americans who live with this disease. Turns out serotonin could play a very important role in bone formation.

The New York Times reports:

At its heart is serotonin made by the gut rather than the brain, whose role outside the brain had been a mystery. Ninety-five percent of the body’s serotonin is made by the gut, but gut serotonin cannot enter the brain because it is barred by a membrane, the so-called blood-brain barrier.

Dr. Karsenty reports, though, that gut serotonin can directly control bone formation. It is released into the blood, and the more serotonin that reaches bone, the more bone is lost. Conversely, the less serotonin, the denser and stronger bones become. Dr. Karsenty was even able to prevent menopause-induced osteoporosis in mice by slowing serotonin production.

Osteoporosis researchers were dumbfounded by the report.

Those same experts are quick to caution that while exciting, this research is "basic" — it was done in mice that were "engineered to have human genes." Researchers remain hopeful about the research that could follow that would drastically change the way Osteoporosis is treated.

Bone Finding May Point to Hope for Osteoporosis [via The New York Times]

Hey gang, apologies for my sporadic posting lately. It seems that after I came down with a virus in September that I have not been good about getting myself back on a regular posting schedule. I think it’s a combination of simply being quite busy and also feeling spent at the end of the day. I come home from working eight hours and just want to veg, but then, of course, feel bad about just vegging because there are twenty other things I “should” be doing. It’s not like someone is standing over me, wagging their finger saying, “Sheryl, you should be cleaning your kitchen.” It’s always my voice that just can’t seem to give myself a break. Argh, I think I will be working on managing (and talking back to) that voice for the rest of my life. I digress…

The good news is, I’m back in action and committed to resuming my regular postings. Please feel free to join the discussion and comment. I’d love to hear from you!

Actemra, a new treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis received an approval recommendation by a government advisory panel last week. Made by Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc., Actemra is a biologic drug that would be administered to patients by infusion. A final decision from the FDA is expected in mid-September.

According to Reuters:

Actemra works differently from other drugs on the market in that it blocks interleukin-6 (IL-6), an immune-system protein involved in inflammation. Other widely used drugs block a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF).
Committee members said Actemra’s ability to relieve symptoms outweighed potential risks, but some urged tracking of patients’ liver function and cholesterol levels.

It’s always good to have new options!

Read the full Reuters article here.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) had decided that NHS (National Health Service) arthritis patients in England and Wales can only try one anti-TNF drug. Yes, you read that correctly. Doctors will only get one shot at prescribing the “right” anti-TNF therapy for each of their patients. No pressure there.

Say that one drug is Remicade. If Remicade does not work for a patient or loses its effectiveness over time, people in the UK will not be allowed to try a second TNF inhibitor therapy, such as Enbrel or Humira. Knowing how Enbrel and other anti-TNFs have been life-changing drugs for me and my arthritis friends, this information in this news article really disturbs me.

NICE said that giving patients two, or even three, anti-TNFs is not cost-effective and that doctors should offer patients the next drug in line - rituximab - which costs about £3,000 less per year than the cheapest anti-TNF.

However, around a quarter of patients do not gain any benefit from rituximab.

WTF?

Charities and patient groups are planning to appeal the ruling before the draft guidance is approved in the fall.

I have a lot of complaints about the U.S. health care system, but this definitely makes me appreciate our system a lot more. What do you think of this ruling?

Plan to Curb Arthritis Drug Use

Hi. I’m Sheryl. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 25. I’m now 36. I suppose you could say this blog has been 11 years in the making, but it wasn’t until the last year or so that found myself thinking seriously about creating an online residence where arthritis warriors of all ages could visit for wellness tips, health hacks and gadget reviews. This year, I decided to put my keyboard where my mouth is and set this idea in motion.

You are looking straight into the eyes of the result: ArthritisFriend.com (aka your new BFF).

Now, I’m not a doctor and I don’t have a medical degree. My knowledge comes from having lived with RA for the last decade of my life. Learning about my condition and, more importantly, how to live with arthritis has been a bumpy road that at times has left me feeling scared and alone. I know I am not the only one out there that has felt like this. There are 46 million people (self-reported, doctor-diagnosed) living with arthritis-related diseases, with more being diagnosed each year, at every age.

I’ve collected a lot of information over the years and had countless experiences that I plan to share as a person living with arthritis, but I know I don’t know everything. I am also counting on you to offer your thoughts and hacks. We don’t have to go through this alone. Let’s help each other out!

I invite you to…
Participate in the discussion. Start the discussion. Email me your own tips, topic ideas and favorite tools. Make your friends laugh with a “Pre-Existing Conditions Suck” T-shirt. Be a wallflower. Be who you are.

To paraphrase that famous quote from Casablanca, I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Thanks for stopping by my place.