3 research outputs found
The anti-inflammatory properties of simvastatin can benefit statin-naïve rheumatoid arthritis patients with associated risks for cardiovascular disease
No full textBackground: The anti-inflammatory properties of statins are well documented. The aim of this study was to determine if statins may offer therapeutic benefits in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients that are also at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Methods: Patients with moderately active RA, despite being on maximum disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) therapy, and that were at risk for cardiovascular disease, were screened for inclusion. Eligible patients were randomised into two groups. In this open-label, cross-over design patients in group 1 received simvastatin treatment (20 mg/day) for a period of 3 months in addition to their usual DMARDs, after which they stopped simvastatin treatment and were followed up for a further 3 months while on their usual DMARDs only. Those in group 2 were allowed to continue on their usual DMARDs without simvastatin treatment for the first 3 months of the study, after which they received 20 mg/day simvastatin for a period of 3 months in addition to their usual DMARDs.
Results: The addition of 20 mg simvastatin to conventional DMARDs produced significant improvements in all of the evaluated parameters. These include significant improvements in DAS28 score, tender joint count, swollen joint count, CRP levels and ESR, while patients were receiving simvastatin treatment.
Conclusions: The addition of 20 mg simvastatin to conventional DMARDs in statin-naïve RA patients at risk for cardiovascular disease may add benefit, apart from modifying lipid profiles, by modulating immune function and suppressing disease activity
Systemic lupus erythematosus: A possible cause of non-alcoholic Wernicke’s encephalopathy
No full textWe report a young woman with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and an acute cerebellar ataxia. A history of poor appetite and vomiting preceded the inco-ordination. Ataxia in SLE has been well described, but is nevertheless uncommon. The clinical triad of mild confusion, ataxia and ophthalmoplegia also raised the possibility of Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE). The diagnosis of WE was further supported by the magnetic resonance imaging features. Owing to overlapping causal factors, this case illustrates the complexity of diagnosing and managing neuropsychiatric syndromes in a patient with SLE. The limited published literature on SLE-related cerebellar syndromes adds to the challenge. Gastrointestinal manifestations of SLE are described as being common in SLE, with nausea and vomiting occurring in >50% of cases in some series. Poor eating habits and vomiting are well-described causes of non-alcoholic WE. This is the first description of gastrointestinal SLE as a possible cause of WE
Suboptimal management of rheumatoid arthritis in the Middle East and Africa: Could the EULAR recommendations be the start of a solution?
No full text[No abstract available]Adelowo OO, 2010, CLIN RHEUMATOL, V29, P593, DOI 10.1007-s10067-009-1355-0; Al-Dalaan A, 1998, ANN SAUDI MED, V18, P396; Aletaha D, 2010, ANN RHEUM DIS, V69, P1580, DOI 10.1136-ard.2010.138461; Badsha H, 2008, CLIN RHEUMATOL, V27, P739, DOI 10.1007-s10067-007-0782-z; Callahan L F, 1995, Arthritis Care Res, V8, P229, DOI 10.1002-art.1790080406; Davatchi F, 2008, J RHEUMATOL, V35, P1384; Davatchi F, 2009, CLIN RHEUMATOL, V28, P1267, DOI 10.1007-s10067-009-1234-8; Gabriel SE, 2001, RHEUM DIS CLIN N AM, V27, P269, DOI 10.1016-S0889-857X(05)70201-5; Kalla AA, 2003, BEST PRACT RES CL RH, V17, P863, DOI 10.1016-S1521-6942(03)00047-0; Lee DM, 2001, LANCET, V358, P903, DOI 10.1016-S0140-6736(01)06075-5; Lundkvist J, 2008, EUR J HEALTH ECON, V8, pS49, DOI 10.1007-s10198-007-0088-8; Malemba JJ, 2008, CLIN RHEUMATOL, V27, P47, DOI 10.1007-s10067-007-0650-x; Minaur NJ, 2004, J RHEUMATOL, V31, P3; Owino B O, 2009, East Afr Med J, V86, P204; Parker Romy, 2010, BMC Musculoskelet Disord, V11, P2, DOI 10.1186-1471-2474-11-2; Rkain H, 2006, JOINT BONE SPINE, V73, P278, DOI 10.1016-j.jbspin.2005.03.021; Scott DL, 2010, LANCET, V376, P1094, DOI 10.1016-S0140-6736(10)60826-4; Singh JA, 2012, ARTHRIT CARE RES, V64, P625, DOI 10.1002-acr.21641; Singwe-Ngandeu M, 2007, East Afr Med J, V84, P404; Smolen JS, 2010, ANN RHEUM DIS, V69, P964, DOI 10.1136-ard.2009.126532; Solomon A, 2005, SEMIN ARTHRITIS RHEU, V35, P122, DOI 10.1016-j.semarthrit.2005.05.005; Tikly Mohammed, 2003, MedGenMed, V5, P2; Woolf AD, 2003, B WORLD HEALTH ORGAN, V81, P646; World Health Organisation, 2003, WHO TECHN REP SER, V919; World Health Organization, 2011, CHRON DIS HLTH PROM; World Health Organization, 2011, GLOB HLTH OBS DAT RE; World Health Organization, 2008, GLOB BURD DIS 2004 U32
