New guidelines For Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

The 2008 American College of Rheumatology guidelines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis have been updated for 2012, according to a special article published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

(HealthDay News) — Jasvinder A. Singh, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to update the 2008 ACR guidelines for the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologic agents in the treatment of RA.

The panel of authors recommend targeting low disease activity or remission in all patients with early RA and patients with established RA receiving any DMARD or biologic agent. In patients with early RA, DMARD monotherapy is recommended for low and moderate/high disease activity in the absence of poor prognostic features, and combination therapy is advised for patients with moderate/high disease activity and poor prognostic features. After three months of DMARD therapy for established RA, patients with moderate or high disease activity could add or switch among DMARDs or switch from DMARDs to biologic agents. The panel also offers recommendations for treating RA patients who have additional complications, including hepatitis, cancer, and chronic heart failure.

"These recommendations, which focus on common clinical scenarios, should be used as a guide for clinicians treating RA patients, with the clear understanding that the best treatment decision can only be made by the clinician in discussions with patients," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Women's health Conference Dubai UAE

Dr. Humeira Badsha, Activity Director, Women's Health Conference, Dubai, UAE (second from left) with Dr. Scott Butsch, Weight Management Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard MediCal School, Dr. Latha Dulipsingh, Director Joslin Diabetes Center, Connecticut USA, Dr. farroqi, Director Dubai Diabetes Centre, Dubai UAE.

Women's health issues in Dubai, UAE

Gender-based approach needed to broaden understanding of women's health problems in Arab world

April 02, 2012

Dubai, UAE: On average women live six to seven years longer than men. However, the leading causes of death in women such as ischemic heart disease, stroke, lung disease, breast and cervical cancer can be easily prevented through simple screening tests and lifestyle modifications. In the past, work on women's health was focused on the health problems of women during pregnancy and childbirth. A gender-based approach has broadened our understanding of women's health problems and helped identify ways to address them for women of all ages.

The Obs-Gyne Exhibition & Congress 2012, organised by Informa Exhibitions in association with Arab Association of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Societies' (AAOGS), is a platform dedicated to the scientific debate of women's health in the Middle East. Taking place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, the event will continue tomorrow (3 April) with more than 800 industry professionals returning for another day of lectures on the latest practices in midwifery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, women's healthcare and breast cancer.

According to Dr. Humeira Badsha, Consultant Rheumatologist, Al Biraa Arthritis and Bone Clinic in Dubai, and Advisory Board Member of the Women's Health Programme at Obs-Gyne 2012, cardiovascular disease, for example, is now known to be a major cause of death among women.

"The problem is that this is not well recognised leading to delays in treatment-seeking and diagnosis among women. The identification of gender differences in cardiovascular disease has made it possible to develop more effective health promotion and prevention strategies that have improved women's health in many countries," she says.

At the symposium, stroke and lung disease were also discussed as a major cause of death for women all over the world.

"About nine million women have a stroke each year and three million of these die as a consequence. High blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol are the main factors contributing to stroke. Although in this part of the world, women smoke less than their western counterparts, testing and controlling high blood pressure is the only way to prevent this killer disease," Dr. Badsha explains.

Hundreds of millions of women worldwide are affected by chronic lung diseases such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases), asthma and bronchitis with more than three million people worldwide dying from COPD alone. "COPD and asthma are the most common lung diseases in the region although the exact prevalence is unknown, it is under-recognized and the rates are rising," says Dr. Badsha.