MRI May be Helpful in Predicting Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity

The more you and your doctor know about your RA, the better you can manage it. Doctors regularly monitor RA patient disease activity, which is the term used to refer to ongoing inflammation, symptoms, and/or joint damage in order to better manage the condition.  Information about the level of disease activity allows doctors to monitor an individual’s response to treatment and to adjust treatment as needed.

Commonly used measures of disease activity are the DAS28 (Disease Activity Score with 28 joint counts), and the Vectra DA test, which is an innovative blood test that allows doctors to test for several biological markers (or biomarkers) of RA simultaneously. Now the results of a clinical study in Europe suggest that MRI may also be a useful adjunct to monitor RA disease activity.

Physicians at the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic have previously demonstrated that inflammation could be detected with MRI in joints without any apparent clinical inflammation in patients with early arthritis, but whether these non-swollen inflamed joints would show radiographic damage had not been explored.(1)

In the current study the doctors obtained MRIs of wrists and metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints in 179 patients and then took radiographs of the same joints after a year.(2) They found that arthritic joints that showed no clinical inflammation (swelling) but had evidence of subclinical inflammation on MRI had more than three times the risk of radiographic progression by 1 year.  When compared with joints having no detectable inflammation, non-swollen joints with any signs of inflammation on MRI were more likely to have evidence of joint damage as measured by radiographic progression.  The cumulative amount of MRI inflammation in non-swollen joints was comparable with that in swollen joint.

The study findings suggest that MRI could be useful for identifying joints that may show early damage even before clinical inflammation is apparent. The DAS28 score and Vectra DA test are established, fairly cost effective ways of assessing and measuring disease activity in patients with RA. It appears that MRI may also play a useful role in measuring disease activity to help doctors and patients arrive at good therapeutic choices in the overall management of RA.

Reference

Krabben A1, Stomp W, Huizinga TW, van der Heijde D, et al. Concordance between inflammation at physical examination and on MRI in patients with early arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2013 Dec 12. [Epub ahead of print]
Krabben A, Stomp W, van Nies JAB, et al. MRI-detected subclinical joint inflammation is associated with radiographic progression. Ann Rheum Dis. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-205208

Source: http://awomanshealth.com/mri-may-be-helpful-in-predicting-rheumatoid-arthritis-disease-activity/

Matt Argall Is Excited About the Success of the New Joint Pain Formula MultiFlex Excel

MIAMI, FL--(Marketwired - Aug 5, 2014) - 

With the increasing costs for doctor visits and treatment options, remedies that can be applied by patients themselves become increasingly attractive. Developing such remedies has turned into a multi-billion dollar business with major pharmacology companies spending years of research and tons of money in inventing new medications. As a result the newly developed pills or ointments are often not much cheaper than getting treatment directly from a physician. There are some exceptions to this development though, namely when a product stems from the creative mind of a doctor who is not lead by commercial success, but who rather is searching for a cure to his own ailment.

This is what happened in the case of the new joint pain formula MultiFlex Excel, an all-natural joint supplement. Dr. Rick Argall, a seasoned chiropractor from Florida, had been suffering from knee pain for many years, trying to find a remedy to relieve the symptoms. He tried everything, from icing his joints to painkillers and anti-inflammatory creams. Frustrated by the results that were temporary at best and hesitant to undergo surgery, he consulted his wife, a chiropractor herself, to help him come up with a better approach. Upon her suggestion Dr. Argall started taking a collagen and anti-oxidant formula. Within a matter of hours he started to feel a difference, within a few days he observed a significant improvement of his symptoms and after only 10 days he was pain free. The idea for a new product was born. For the marketing, however, he would need an expert, so he turned to his son, Matt Argall, a knowledgeable and highly successful entrepreneur.

Matt Argall has extensive experience launching, managing, and marketing companies and was thrilled to help his father with the development and promotion of this new product. The result: MultiFlex Excel. The innovative joint support combines a variety of powerful and age-defying herbs that contain scientifically proven modern nutrients. MultiFlex Excel comes in three formulations - capsules, a drink, and in form of a cream. Taking only two capsules per day can stop the effects of wear and tear, which are the cause for discomfort and pain in the joints. The Joint Repair Excel powder, which needs to be mixed with water, helps to replenish the body with nutrients and the MultiFlex Excel cream is extremely effective for relieving strained muscles. Thanks to Matt, all products are now being sold online and are receiving raving reviews by satisfied customers.

Despite his many years of experience as an entrepreneur, Matt Argall was especially happy about the success of the MultiFlex project, since it gave him a chance to cooperate with his father. Born in Los Angeles, Matt and his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. The transition from one country to another brought Matt and his parents even closer together, so it was only a matter of time until they would expand this great relationship to do business together. After a few years in Canada, where his parents owned a successful chiropractic office, they moved back to the United States and have settled in Florida where Matt lives to date. Meanwhile, he has founded his own family and is a proud husband and father to a son. Nevertheless, he continues to work as an investor and consultant, always supported by his wife, Maya, whom Matt calls "his greatest inspiration".

To learn more about Matt Argall, visit: http://www.MattArgallNews.com

Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2100578

PMS Not Linked to Hot Flashes Later, Study Finds

Women who experience premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, won't necessarily suffer from hot flashes when they go through menopause, according to a new study.

However, women who have PMS are more likely to report other common menopause complaints, such as memory and concentration problems, the researchers found.

"We were not able to detect any clear association between menopausal hot flashes and previous PMS," said study researcher Dr. Tomi Mikkola, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland.

"However, women with PMS are more likely to experience impaired quality of life when entering menopause," he said.

His study was published recently in the journal Menopause.

PMS refers to a group of symptoms linked to the monthly menstrual cycle. It occurs about one to two weeks before the period starts. Symptoms of PMS include mood changes, headache, breast tenderness, bloating, fatigue, sleep changes and food cravings, according to background information in the study.

Estimates of how many women suffer from PMS vary greatly. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates about 85 percent of women report at least one PMS symptom.

For the study, Mikkola and his colleagues included information from 120 healthy postmenopausal women who answered questions about symptoms they had experienced when they still had periods. They also answered questions about their current health and symptoms. The women were between 48 and 55 years old. None had taken hormone replacement therapy.

About 90 percent of the women said they had premenstrual symptoms earlier in their lives. About half said the symptoms hampered their ability to work well or hurt their social relations.

If the women had experienced premenstrual symptoms, at menopause, they were more likely to report problems with memory and concentration, a depressive mood, sleep problems and feeling less attractive, the study authors found.

"We do not know why PMS is linked with memory and concentration problems at menopause," Mikkola said. "However, it is possible that some women are more prone to experience both PMS and menopause symptoms more disturbing than others." That, in turn, could be related to personality, coping style, self-esteem and other factors, he said.

Dr. Margery Gass, executive director of the North American Menopause Society, reviewed the findings. "I've always thought many of the things bothering perimenopausal women are very similar to the symptoms of PMS." Perimenopause, which means "around menopause," refers to the years when a woman's body is making the transition from a regular monthly period to none.

"The study is very interesting and could help women and their [health care] providers better understand all the symptoms of menopause,'' Gass said.

Her advice for women? "Not to be surprised by these symptoms and to realize they are not going to last the rest of their lives," Gass said. "The symptoms will fade away as women get further away from their last period."

To improve PMS symptoms, experts suggest lifestyle measures such as getting regular exercise, eating a diet with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and getting enough sleep. Over-the-counter pain relievers may help symptoms such as breast tenderness. Taking birth control pills may help reduce symptoms, too.

Source: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/topics/HealthDay688279_20140605_PMS_Not_Linked_to_Hot_Flashes_Later__Study_Finds.html

Report On Mental Health Suggests 'Robust' Approach To Treatment

A year in the making, a new state report recommends more funding for mental-health services, a system for tracking the availability of psychiatric beds and broadening the guidelines for forcing people into psychiatric care -- but it doesn't go as far as the legislator behind the study had hoped.

The Joint State Government Commission, the Legislature's research service, conducted the study after state Rep. Thomas Caltagirone, D-Berks County, pushed through a resolution last May requesting it.

Mr. Caltagirone, who is minority chairman of the Judiciary Committee and concerned about the growing number of people with mental illness showing up in jails and prisons, hoped the commission would recommend re-establishing some of the state hospital beds closed in recent decades as part of a national push for community-based treatment.

The commission echoed his concern about incarceration of the mentally ill, saying "it is particularly ironic" that three shuttered state hospitals ultimately were turned into prisons. However, while the commission made recommendations for keeping people with mental illness out of the justice system -- such as developing a better-funded, more robust system of community mental-health services -- it did not recommend more hospital beds.

In an email, Glenn J. Pasewicz, the commission's executive director, said "a state hospital bed is supposed to be a last resort."

"The whole notion of a robust community mental health services system is to prevent persons with mental illness from becoming so ill that institutionalization is necessary," he said.

Mr. Caltagirone said the report was a starting point but not the dynamic road map for change he had sought.

"It's not the alpha and the omega," he said. "It's just the alpha."

Mr. Caltagirone said he would consider convening workshops or hearings with some of the mental-health experts interviewed for the study to hear directly what ideas they have for improving the mental health system and ultimately will introduce legislation to move forward the initiatives he considers most relevant.

"You have to be bold and dynamic," he said, predicting that reopening hospital beds -- and diverting money from the corrections system to fund them -- is the "biggest hurdle to overcome."

Allegheny County Judge John Zottola, chairman of the state's Mental Health and Justice Advisory Committee, said the report represented a needed review of policies that are as much as 50 years old.

Deb Shoemaker, executive director of Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society, a group representing psychiatrists, said she was pleased with the report.

"The funding is the biggest issue, and it's paramount," she said.

In recommending more funding for community treatment, the commission echoed the sentiments of county officials, service providers and advocates, all of whom have lamented service cuts that followed a 10 percent reduction in state funding for mental-health services in 2012-13. It said support for community care only makes sense.

"The average cost per person in a state mental hospital in Pennsylvania is $144,072. The average cost per inmate in the state corrections institutions is $36,300," compared with an average annual cost of $2,322 for community treatment, it said.

The report did not give an opinion about how much more money is needed for community treatment.

"We did find that providers/counties would like to receive, at a minimum, restoration of the 10 percent cut from the 2013 budget, although they realize that the 10 percent would be a drop in the bucket," Mr. Pasewicz said in the email. "Also, while new money is needed, more efficient use of existing money is necessary."

The report provided additional support for some initiatives already in progress.

For example, it recommended a system for tracking availability of psychiatric beds at community hospitals. The Pennsylvania Medical Society last year called for such a system, saying patients with mental-health needs may spend hours, if not days, in emergency departments, because psychiatric beds are difficult to locate.

The study also recommended modifications to the state law regulating involuntary commitments for psychiatric care, saying the current standard for forcing a person into care is not broad enough.

State Sen. Patricia Vance, R-Cumberland County, introduced legislation in April 2013 to liberalize the standard, but the bill remains in committee. Judge Zottola said his committee has expressed interest in changes to the involuntary commitment law, but he questioned the study's proposal to include damaging property as a behavior that could force someone into care.

To give inmates stability when they leave a county jail, the commission recommended giving them up to a 30-day supply of psychiatric medications at the time of their releases. It said the state already provides departing prisoners with such a supply.

Allegheny County once provided a month's supply but cut back -- it now provides up to two weeks worth of medication and a prescription for a refill -- because of concern that medications would be sold on the street or otherwise fall into the wrong hands, said Sue Martone, the county's assistant deputy director for behavioral-health services.

The report also recommended the Legislature establish a student-loan-forgiveness program to lure more people into the mental-health field and keep them there. The federal government already offers such programs for psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other professionals.

Without identifying specific positions, Mr. Pasewicz said he envisions a state program for "front-line caseworkers/social workers, who comprise the bulk of personnel caught in the revolving door in human services staffing. People working in these positions are usually fresh out of college and are paid only slightly more than minimum wage."

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2014/05/19/PA-report-on-mental-health-suggests-robust-approach-to-treatment/stories/201405190081

How to Deal with Night Sweats, Headaches and Other Symptoms of Menopause?

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Dealing with menopause symptoms can feel like a full-time job. Most women experience at least a few of the 45 known menopause symptoms, as identified by Dr. Shoreh Ershadi. Some suffer from debilitating symptoms that affect their day-to-day functioning. Menopause incontinence as well as hot flashes and night sweats and menopause are among the most common symptoms of menopause. Women may also experience menopause dry eyes, vaginal atrophy, and headaches and menopause. Natural products and lifestyle changes are often highly effective during this natural life transition.

Many women are interested in natural supplements such as DON'T PAUSE. These supplements offer relief from a variety of menopause symptoms without unwanted side effects. Studies have been performed on many natural ingredients, and the results are largely positive. Some herbs have been found to decrease the incidence and severity of hot flashes and night sweats while other natural ingredients can combat moodiness, irritability and dry or itchy skin. Powerful antioxidant ingredients can help restore healthier functioning overall and combat common signs of aging and menopause symptoms.

Lifestyle chances can also offer powerful relief. Menopausal women may need to keep a diary of their symptoms, which can help them identify triggers for night sweats and headaches. Avoiding these triggers can help alleviate symptoms. Women who are struggling with dry eyes menopause may benefit from moisturizing eye drops and frequent breaks from reading or screen time. Increased exercise and a nutritious diet is important for all people but especially important during menopause, when abdominal weight gain can become more common and may increase the risk of disease. Every woman is an individual and may experience variations in her symptoms. Taking a comprehensive approach that includes natural supplements and lifestyle changes is often effective against a broad range of symptoms.

The AntiAging Institute of California offers a wide selection of natural nutritional supplements, including DON'T PAUSE, which has been designed to specifically alleviate menopause symptoms. Dr. Shoreh Ershadi's research has led to the identification of 45 symptoms of menopause and the development of DON'T PAUSE, which uses a unique multi-ingredient formula that addresses both individual symptoms and the underlying cause of these symptoms.

SOURCE: The AntiAging Institute of California

Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1874373

Panel At Cherokee High School Addresses Bullying, Suicide

CANTON — Two or three students in every middle and high school classroom on average have attempted suicide in the past 12 months, said Sheri McGuinness, Georgia Suicide Prevention Action Network president and CEO.

Cherokee High School welcomed experts and community members Wednesday night for a panel discussion on teen suicide and bullying, featuring internationally acclaimed author Jay Asher.

About 50 people attended the discussion at Cherokee High School, including as many as 35 students, who heard from counselors, psychologists, crisis intervention specialists and local law enforcement about how to handle situations of bullying and threats of suicide.

McGuinness said 20 percent of students surveyed said they had thought about or planned their own suicide.

“That’s a lot of kids,” she said. “I say this, not to scare you, but so you can realize that this isn’t an isolated situation we’re discussing. And we have to really work hard at changing the culture of our schools and building resiliency, and teach our kids how to talk.”

McGuinness said 80 percent of people who attempt suicide told someone they were thinking about doing it, but they died anyway.

“What does that mean? That we didn’t hear them or we didn’t believe them? Or we didn’t take it seriously or we thought they were trying to get attention?” McGuinness asked. “We have to understand that unless you’re a clinician … someone else needs to make that assessment. We have to take every threat seriously.”

Asher, author of the New York Times and international bestselling book “Thirteen Reasons Why,” spoke to students at the school earlier Wednesday, returning for the community panel at 6 p.m.

His book tells the fictional story of a teen girl who ended her life, but decided to record her story on cassette tapes before she died.

“I never thought I’d write a book like this,” Asher told the audience.

But when Asher’s teenaged relative attempted suicide, he said, the issue became an important topic to address as an author of books for teens.

“She and I talked a lot about what got her to that place, and she was dealing with a lot,” Asher explained. “I felt I really understood how she got there … and now she’s doing really well.”

Asher said many people have told him the book helped them get through their own struggles, and said suicide needs to be a topic students can talk about in a safe space.

He stressed people who commit suicide don’t fit a stereotype. Asher said teens can look like they’re doing great and still be suffering with depression, which is why discussion is so important.

Asher said being able to talk about suicide can help prevent many tragedies. He said “it’s worth it … it’s important,” and adults should not be afraid to talk about suicide.

Sgt. Charles Westbrook, coordinator of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Team, said people who suffer from depression or other issues, which may lead them to believe suicide is the only escape, don’t realize their suffering is temporary.

“When you’ve got the flu and you’re really sick, and other people are around you, sometimes they don’t know exactly how you’re feeling,” he said. “That’s the way it is with depression. That’s the way it is when you start to feel suicidal.”

But Westbrook said, “Like the flu, it will get better.” He said suicide is a permanent decision for a temporary illness.

“If you reach out, you’ll find there will be people who will listen. Professionals and friends,” he said.

For many young people, pressure to be perfect can cause sadness or depression, the panel discussed.

Panel members agreed that the alternative to perfection is not failure, it’s authenticity.

Read more: Cherokee Tribune - Panel at Cherokee High School addresses bullying suicide

Source: http://www.cherokeetribune.com/view/full_story/25024205/article-Panel-at-Cherokee-High-School-addresses-bullying--suicide?instance=home_top_bullets