RA Pain May be Caused by Stress Fracture
An increase in pain at a single site could be signs of a stress fracture in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, especially if they have a history of steroid use.
In the December 2004 issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers reviewed data on 24 stress fractures in 18 rheumatoid arthritis patients who were seen at a single center over almost 10 years. Out of the 18 stress fracture patients, 11 were current oral corticosteroid users and 14 were past users. When the 18 rheumatoid arthritis stress fracture patients were compared to 18 rheumatoid arthritis patients without stress fractures, the researchers found that steroid use was significantly more common in the stress fracture patients.
Guidelines: Control Asthma During Pregnancy
According to guidelines published in the January 2005 issue of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, asthma must be controlled during pregnancy to protect the life of the baby. While asthma medications may affect the baby, they are less risky than the breathing problems caused by asthma. According to the panel of experts who issued the guidelines, up to 8% of pregnant women are affected by asthma, but may be afraid to take drugs to control their condition. The guidelines say that albuterol should be used for quick relief. Women with asthma symptoms at least 2 days a week or 2 nights a month have persistent asthma and need daily medication. Inhaled corticosteroids, notably budesonide, are the preferred drugs, the panel said. Doses should be increased if the drugs do not control symptoms, or other classes of drugs can be added. Oral corticosteroids may be needed for the most severe cases, despite confusing information on their safety.
Bacterial Meningitis Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine to protect people age 11 to 55 against bacterial meningitis, a rare but potentially deadly and debilitating disease. Aventis Pasteur received approval from the federal agency to manufacture the vaccine Menactra to protect against the A, C, Y and W-135 strains of bacteria that cause meningococcal diseases.
Aventis Pasteur said a single dose of Menactra showed enough power to protect students all through their college years. The current vaccine required booster shots to cover a similar period. In the United States, fewer than 3,000 cases of invasive meningococcal disease are reported each year, the Centers for Disease Control stated. People ages 15 to 24 suffer the highest mortality rates, and survivors can suffer mental disabilities, hearing loss, and paralysis.
The CDC favors routine immunization for all adolescents and college freshmen living in residence halls. Close contact is among the risk factors for the ailment.
Worldwide, more than 500,000 cases of meningococcal disease occur each year, causing 135,000 deaths.
Antidepressants and Hot Flashes
The January 2005 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology notes that the antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor) appears to be effective in treating postmenopausal hot flashes in healthy women. In a study, researchers investigated whether extended-release venlafaxine would reduce hot flashes in a general population of postmenopausal women. Eighty women were randomly treated with either venlafaxine or inactive placebo. At the end of the 12-week study, the women in the venlafaxine group had substantially lower hot flash scores than women taking placebo. The researchers noted that although there were several adverse effects noted in the venlafaxine group, the majority of women continued taking the drug even after the study was over, indicating that the benefits outweigh the adverse effects.