Coronavirus: Signs, Symptoms, FAQs, and Treatments

5 Organizations To Find Support For Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 18 million people across the world have a chronic, inflammatory type of arthritis known as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Without proper management and treatment, RA can progress and cause severe joint damage and other health issues.

[1]

The good news? A variety of resources can help you stay informed about RA, offer guidance on things you can do to protect your health, and connect you with other people living with the condition.

Here are some of our favorite resources to help you navigate life with RA.

American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Since it was founded in 1934, the ACR has been the leading not-for-profit professional association. They support over 9,600 rheumatology experts (those who deal with RA) to continue to perform innovative work and provide quality care.

[2]

As a part of their initiatives, the ACR offers people living with various forms of arthritis (and their loved ones) a number of resources, including information about RA, various blog posts, and a Rheumatology Provider Directory.

The ACR also launched the first Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month, in September 2016, to spread awareness about conditions such as RA.

Additionally, the ACR encourages people with arthritis to take action by messaging government representatives who are responsible for making policy decisions that may have an impact on the daily lives of people living with these conditions. Sharing your personal stories about treatment access or cost issues can help the ACR work toward solving policy problems that affect people with RA and other rheumatic diseases.

Stay connected with the ACR on:

Arthritis Foundation The Arthritis Foundation was founded in 1948 with a mission to help lead the path forward to conquer all forms of arthritis, including RA, and ultimately find a cure.

[3]

Along with providing access to educational information about RA, the Arthritis Foundation offers a variety of online resources, including a:

The organization encourages people with arthritis to participate in advocacy initiatives that address both state and federal policy issues to improve access to arthritis care.

They also host a number of in-person and virtual events to raise money to advance arthritis research and bring together people with arthritis.

Additionally, the Arthritis Foundation hosts the Rheumatoid Arthritis Connect Group, inviting people living with the condition to engage with others who have shared experiences. This group also provides access to educational programming and expert-led discussions that promote self-advocacy and empower people with RA to thrive while managing the condition.

You can connect with the Arthritis Foundation through:

CreakyJoints CreakyJoints is part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF), a nonprofit advocacy group that has been working since 1999 to help improve quality of life for people with chronic diseases such as RA. CreakyJoints, a community of thousands of people across the United States who are living with various forms of arthritis, is one of the GHLF's biggest networks.

[4]

[5]

CreakyJoints takes part in research and advocacy efforts to educate the community about chronic disease and improve access to care.

They also offer educational resources for people with RA, including information on:

Additionally, CreakyJoints provides a series of webinars and a podcast network to share information with their community. They host monthly Twitter chats about living with chronic disease. And they collect and share patient-submitted stories on what life with arthritis is really like.

You can download their free app, PatientSpot, to help track your symptoms, stay on top of your treatment regimen, and share data with your doctor to make more informed decisions about your care.

Keep in touch with CreakyJoints through:

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Since 1986, the NIAMS has been working to understand and address disparities in diseases that affect the bones, joints, muscles, and skin, including RA. They spend around $600 million each year to support research efforts and communicate findings with the public.

[6]

In addition to research and professional resources, their website offers educational information for people with RA and their loved ones, including the latest news about the condition. You can subscribe to their newsletter to have updates sent straight to your inbox.

The NIAMS is also a great source for learning about current and upcoming clinical trials and hearing from people who have participated in previous trials.

For more information, connect with NIAMS through:

Rheumatoid Arthritis Group

Connecting online with others who have RA can be a great way to share experiences, give and receive advice, and feel less alone while managing this condition. The Rheumatoid Arthritis Group is a Facebook group that was created in 2017 to do just that. Today, the group consists of nearly 100,000 members. This active group averages about 19 posts each day, where you can interact with others living with RA.

Two Key Genes Identified Linking Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoporosis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disease affecting an estimated 17 million people worldwide. The disease is caused by immune cells attacking the joints and can result in pain, swelling, and damage to the cartilage and bone. People with rheumatoid arthritis often develop osteoporosis, a more serious condition, as a result of the bone damage caused by immune cells and as a side effect of certain medications.

In APL Bioengineering, from AIP Publishing, researchers from Da-Chien General Hospital, China Medical University, and Chang Gung University employed analysis tools and machine learning algorithms to identify two genes linked to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis that could serve as diagnostic tools and potential targets for treatments.

Both diseases center on one of the key mechanisms used to keep the rest of the body in check. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a crucial tool immune cells use to remove malfunctioning or unneeded cells. However, malfunctions can lead to immune cells mistakenly targeting cells at random, with often disastrous results.

"In rheumatoid arthritis, excessive apoptosis of bone-forming cells contributes to joint destruction and inflammation," said author Hao-Ju Lo. "This same process also leads to weakened bones in osteoporosis, emphasizing the need to manage both conditions simultaneously."

Because of its central role, the researchers set out to find genes involved with apoptosis that were closely linked to both diseases. Drawing from a large database of genetic information, they gathered dozens of sequenced genomes from people with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis to look for any similarities. Combing through this mountain of genetic data was no easy task, so they turned to recently developed computational methods to narrow down their search.

"We used bioinformatics tools to analyze large gene datasets, focusing on genes active in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis," said Lo. "We applied machine learning techniques, such as Lasso and Random Forest, to refine our search, identifying two key genes -- ATXN2L and MMP14 -- that play significant roles in both diseases."

According to their analysis, these two genes are significantly associated with the progression of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. ATXN2L has a role in regulating processes like apoptosis, so malfunctions in this gene are likely to trigger both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. MMP14 contributes to building extracellular tissue like cartilage and could be responsible for the breakdown of joint tissue that leads to rheumatoid arthritis.

"Our analysis revealed that these genes are involved in immune regulation and bone metabolism, suggesting they could be useful markers for diagnosing or treating both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis," said Lo.

With two potential targets identified, the authors plan to use these results as a starting point to develop new treatment options for patients suffering from these two linked diseases.

"We plan to validate these findings with experimental studies and explore how targeting these genes could improve treatment outcomes," said Lo. "Our future research may also involve developing personalized therapies, leveraging AI and machine learning to predict which patients are most at risk for osteoporosis."

Anxiety/depression Linked To Health-related Quality-of-life Losses In Seropositive Rheumatoid Arthritis

Just a moment...

This request seems a bit unusual, so we need to confirm that you're human. Please press and hold the button until it turns completely green. Thank you for your cooperation!

Press and Hold

Press and hold the button

If you believe this is an error, please contact our support team.

167.71.87.121 : a342fc1b-62b3-4f0d-bd54-95331188

---