Autoimmune Disease

Lupus is difficult to diagnose and to treat, but researchers are working hard on how to better understand the illness in order to develop better treatments. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects between 300,000 and 1.5 million Americans. Dr. Sarah Yim, rheumatologist, said in a news release, “With treatment, the disease may quiet down, ...click here to read more

Celiac disease patients have been found to be taking popular probiotics with traces of gluten, according to research. Researchers at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that over half of probiotics are contaminated with traces of gluten. Probiotics are taken by many celiac patients to promote healthy gut flora even ...click here to read more

Multiple sclerosis vision damage (optic neuropathy) can be reversed by a common over-the-counter cold drug, according to research. The drug, clemastine fumarate, which helps alleviate allergy and cold symptoms, has been found to temporarily reverse vision damage commonly seen in multiple sclerosis. The study involved multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with vision damage. Optic nerve damage ...click here to read more

Much evidence has come to light revealing the benefits of fasting-like diets, especially for the reduction of symptoms in multiple sclerosis. Many individuals resort to fasting-like diets as a means to lose weight, but the latest findings reveal benefits beyond the scale. Researchers discovered that fasting-like diets trigger death-and-life processes for cells that are critical ...click here to read more

A few alcoholic beverages every week can reduce the chances of getting painful rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, having two to four beers each week may decrease the odds in women by more than 30 percent. The “Nurses’ Health Study” (NHS) and the “Nurses’ Health Study II,” published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, examined ...click here to read more

May is National Lupus Awareness Month, so we have compiled a roundup of our stories that not only discuss lupus but also address related conditions such as Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome. The following articles compare lupus with other conditions, explain how lupus may be mistaken for other conditions, and explore the ...click here to read more

The week’s news roundup presents stories about multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and walking pneumonia. This week, we compared fibromyalgia with chronic fatigue syndrome, revealed how Lyme disease may be detected through a urine test, learned that rheumatoid arthritis doesn’t increase the risk of cardiovascular events or death after surgery, and discussed the ...click here to read more

At first, celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may appear similar as they share many common symptoms, but if you take a deeper look you will notice vast differences between the two. The biggest difference is that one is a disease and the other is a syndrome – you may think this is just ...click here to read more

A multiple sclerosis drug is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer, while multiple sclerosis (MS) on its own raises the risk of breast cancer. The drug mitoxantrone was first developed as a chemotherapy drug for certain cancers, and is now used for multiple sclerosis patients. Mitoxantrone is prescribed to patients when other multiple ...click here to read more

Does hypothyroidism increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in the elderly? If you’ve ever asked yourself that question you are among the many others who ponder it as well. Roughly, four to 15 percent of Americans have subclinical hypothyroidism – underactive thyroid. Along with the usual symptoms of fatigue and weight gain, a ...click here to read more

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with fibromyalgia (FM) experience decreased function status. Compared to rheumatoid arthritis patients without fibromyalgia, patients with both conditions experience a greater decrease in function within two years. Fibromyalgia is characterized by musculoskeletal pain all over the body. Patients with a rheumatoid disease have a 20 to 30 percent higher risk of ...click here to read more

Fibromyalgia and depression share some common symptoms, which could be a large reason for misdiagnosis. On the other hand, fibromyalgia may even contribute to depression – living with allover pain can limit one’s abilities, so a person may feel burdened in their own body. At the same time, having depression in fibromyalgia can worsen fibromyalgia, ...click here to read more

Rheumatoid arthritis affects the lungs and raises the risk of interstitial lung disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune type of arthritis, and although it primarily affects the joints, it can affect other body parts and organs, too. According to researchers, respiratory conditions are the second leading cause of death among rheumatoid arthritis patients. Some are ...click here to read more

Crohn’s disease (CD) relapse risk is reduced with smoking cessation. An estimated 1.6 million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Smoking is an environmental factor that has been linked to the development of Crohn’s disease. The authors wrote in a news release, “The present study is indeed the second trial to prospectively assess the ...click here to read more