Active Disease Management Of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients (NAPSA)—Chronic inflammation of bone joints. Swelling and stiffness. Difficulty with simple activities. These are just someof the symptoms people with the chronic autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA)—oneof the mostserious and disabling formsof arthritis—battle every day. Fortunately, for the 2.1 million Americans living with RA, active participation in disease management may be possible. Patients can be active in the quest to improve quality of life by working with their doctors on everything from ways to best maintain joint function to learning how to balance daily activities and anticipate flare-ups. In addition to the physical effects of RA, the emotional impact may be significant. Many patients experience stress and depression as a result of a decreased ability to function. According to new research from the Arthritis Foundation, psychological stress can worsen the disease by aggravating white blood cells that produce tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a protein that regulates autoimmunefunction in the body. Some patients have found that engaging their health care providers to proactively seek solutions for dealing with both the physical and emotional effects of this disease is a good approach. s Both as a result of increased communication between patients and their health care providers and the increased availability of drugs, trends indicate costs of RA treatments are going down. Even more, clinical studies continue to investigate potentially new treatmentsfor RA patients. New Research UnderWay, Participants Needed Clinical studies are now in progress to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of an investigational drug for the treatment of active RA. These studies, occur- ring at clinics throughout the country, are looking for participants who are 18 years of age or older and living with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. To find out more about RAclinical research studies being conducted nationwide, call toll-free (800) 668-9023.
