Treatment Guidelines for Psoriatic Arthritis

Rheumatologists, dermatologists, and patient advocates have come together to publish the first-ever international guidelines for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, a disease that mainly affects people who have psoriasis but also some people without it. The guidelines by the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. The group was headed by Christopher Ritchlin, M.D., M.P.H., professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, who presented the guidelines Sunday, Oct. 26. ?In the past few years, new medications have become available that are incredibly effective for the various manifestations of psoriatic arthritis,? said Ritchlin, who treats about 250 patients with the disease. ?Many patients? find their lives changed for the better within just a couple of weeks. These guidelines are designed as a platform to make sure physicians around the world are aware of what?s available for their patients and to help them make sound treatment decisions.? More »











A high-fat diet could promote the development of Alzheimer?s

A team of Université Laval researchers has shown that the main neurological markers for Alzheimer?s disease are exacerbated in the brains of mice fed a diet rich in animal fat and poor in omega-3s. Details of the study?which suggests that diets typical of most industrialized countries promote the development of Alzheimer?s?are outlined in the latest online edition of Neurobiology of Aging. To demonstrate this, the team led by Frédéric Calon used a type of transgenic mice that produce two proteins found in the brains of Alzheimer patients?tau proteins, which prevent proper neuron functioning, and amyloid-beta, associated with the formation of senile plaques within the brains of afflicted patients. The researchers fed transgenic and regular mice different diets for nine months, after which they compared the effects on the animals? brains. More »


Stress affects older adults more than young adults

Life can be stressful, whether you?re an individual watching the stock market crash or a commuter stuck in traffic. A new study, forthcoming in the journal Psychological Science, examines how stress affects decision-making and finds that older adults alter their behavior more than young adults when under stress ? particularly in situations involving risk. ?People haven?t looked at how stress affects decision making, even though so many of our decisions are made under stress,? explained Mara Mather of USC Davis School of Gerontology, lead author of the study. ?There?s very little information about this whole topic, and, when you get to age differences, there?s even less.? Mather and her colleagues Marissa Gorlick, of the USC Emotion and Cognition Lab, and Nichole Kryla-Lighthall, a USC doctoral student, exposed young adults (18 to 33) and older adults (65 to 89) to a stressful event, in this case, holding a hand in ice-cold water for three minutes.  More »


Five Ways to Get More from Your Doctor: Researchers? Tips for Patients

These days, going to the doctor may seem more like speed dating than care giving. Patients get a few minutes with the clinician, and he or she does most of the talking. How can a person get the information they need and the outcome they desire in a 15-minute office visit? What if the treatment options don?t feel right? Is it too much for a patient to feel they are considered a partner in their own well-being? Often, people leave their doctor?s office with more questions than answers, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine who are looking at how patients can get more of what they need from the health-care system. They have found that patients (or their advocates) who talk to physicians about their beliefs, values, lifestyle and concerns can get better results from their health-care experience.  More »













Like Rest of Society, Doctors Implicitly Favor Whites Over Blacks

In the first large study to explore possible unconscious bias among physicians, researchers have found that doctors mirror the attitudes of the majority in society and implicitly favor whites over blacks. ?This supports speculation that subtle race bias may affect health care, but does not imply that it will,? said University of Washington researcher Janice Sabin, who presented the study here Tuesday (Oct. 28) at the American Public Health Association?s annual meeting. ?This research is too preliminary to know if there is a direct relationship between physicians? implicit, or unconscious, racial attitudes and the quality of medical care.? Sabin, who is an acting assistant professor of medical education and biomedical informatics, said: ?Our findings fit with previous research showing bias is common in the general population. But we have to remember people are not racist if they hold an implicit bias.? More »