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What Is The Cure And Treatment For Osteoarthritis And Other Autoimmune Diseases?
Question: Hello again. I was interested in knowing whether any progress has been made in discovering the causes if osteoarthritis and other autoimmune diseases, and why it particularly affects middle age women.If autoimmune diseases are caused by defect in the immune system I am surprised that nothing has been discovered to get around it and prevent it.
On the other hand if osteoarthritis itself is caused by wear and tear of joints, including in the fingers, then why isn't is as prevalent in society as high cholesterol or other common ailments? In oher words, why doesn't everybody suffer from it?
On the other hand if osteoarthritis itself is caused by wear and tear of joints, including in the fingers, then why isn't is as prevalent in society as high cholesterol or other common ailments? In oher words, why doesn't everybody suffer from it?
Treatment of auto immune disease for a long time depended on steroids and other immunosuppresants. After a long time drugs called BIOLOGICALS have made an entry in treating auto immune diseases. Drugs like abatacept and rituximab have shown promise in treating auto immune diseases like lupus.
Unfortunately there is not much on the horizon for osteoarthritis, at least that I know of.
OA is a degenerative disease. Obviously the incidence increases with age. So above 70 years of age, significant population gets OA. There are certain risk factors for getting OA. These are - age, female gender, family history, repeated trauma, being overweight. In fact, the prevalence of OA could be as high or even higher than incidence of hypertension or high cholesterol. It is just that the severity of OA could be different in different individuals
Unfortunately there is not much on the horizon for osteoarthritis, at least that I know of.
OA is a degenerative disease. Obviously the incidence increases with age. So above 70 years of age, significant population gets OA. There are certain risk factors for getting OA. These are - age, female gender, family history, repeated trauma, being overweight. In fact, the prevalence of OA could be as high or even higher than incidence of hypertension or high cholesterol. It is just that the severity of OA could be different in different individuals
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you. Is it possible to have both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis in the fingers or toes?
My wife's mother had swollen and crooked fingers and toes. She died because her lungs had ankylosing spondylitis and dried up. Her own sister also died of it. Is this an independent disease or is it connected to rheumatoid arthritis?
So far my wife shows no signs in blood work of rheumatoid arthritis besides her osteoarthritis.
She's only 53 but started having signs of osteoarthritis before she reached 50.
My wife's eldest sister has Sjogren's Syndrome and some osteoarthritis.
Does this portend the possibility of my wife getting autoimmune disease in addition to osteoarthritis?
And if osteoarthritis is mainly a function of old age or trauma, why should she have it in her fingers so young, and why don't just about everybody of every race get it?
Thanks.
My wife's mother had swollen and crooked fingers and toes. She died because her lungs had ankylosing spondylitis and dried up. Her own sister also died of it. Is this an independent disease or is it connected to rheumatoid arthritis?
So far my wife shows no signs in blood work of rheumatoid arthritis besides her osteoarthritis.
She's only 53 but started having signs of osteoarthritis before she reached 50.
My wife's eldest sister has Sjogren's Syndrome and some osteoarthritis.
Does this portend the possibility of my wife getting autoimmune disease in addition to osteoarthritis?
And if osteoarthritis is mainly a function of old age or trauma, why should she have it in her fingers so young, and why don't just about everybody of every race get it?
Thanks.
Ankylosing spondylitis can affect the lungs and cause fibrosis (scarring). Rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the lungs, but not osteoarthritis.
OA can be "primary', as is the case with your wife, i.e. without any reason. It can also be secondary to any cause which can damage the articular surface of the bone or the cartilage. Damage to articular surface secondary to rheumatoid, gout or trauma can cause secondary OA.
Primary OA is very common, mainly age related and as mentioned, is present in large number of aged population in all races. Rarely, it can manifest in relatively younger age.
It is very unlikely to get any auto immune at this age, including Sjogrens.
OA can be "primary', as is the case with your wife, i.e. without any reason. It can also be secondary to any cause which can damage the articular surface of the bone or the cartilage. Damage to articular surface secondary to rheumatoid, gout or trauma can cause secondary OA.
Primary OA is very common, mainly age related and as mentioned, is present in large number of aged population in all races. Rarely, it can manifest in relatively younger age.
It is very unlikely to get any auto immune at this age, including Sjogrens.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you. I am not entirely clear on this. Are you suggesting that rheumatoid arthritis can lead to osteoarthritis in younger persons because primary OA is only in aged populations, so that people who already have rheumatoid arthritis can develop secondary osteoarthritis?
My wife is negative for XXXXXXX ESR and HLA-B27.
Yet her mother and aunt both died of the hardening spondylitis in the lungs AND had osteoarthritis and that older sister has Sjogrens.
Do you mean that it is unusual for a woman in her late 40s or early 50s to start showing crooked upper finger joints as primary OA?
My wife is negative for XXXXXXX ESR and HLA-B27.
Yet her mother and aunt both died of the hardening spondylitis in the lungs AND had osteoarthritis and that older sister has Sjogrens.
Do you mean that it is unusual for a woman in her late 40s or early 50s to start showing crooked upper finger joints as primary OA?
You cant put an age for getting OA, but higher the age, higher the incidence of getting OA. OA can happen in early 50s
OA is a disease when articular surfaces get worn off. OA is of two types - primary and secondary. The cause of former is not known, but we know the risk factors for the same. Age and female gender are the main risk factors.
Secondary OA is secondary to some known disease, which eventually makes articular surfaces wear off. RA, gout are a few diseases which can eventually cause OA.
Negative XXXXXXX and HLA mean that your wife is not suffering from lupus or ankylosing spondylitis. These are different diseases all together and have no relation with OA.
OA is a disease when articular surfaces get worn off. OA is of two types - primary and secondary. The cause of former is not known, but we know the risk factors for the same. Age and female gender are the main risk factors.
Secondary OA is secondary to some known disease, which eventually makes articular surfaces wear off. RA, gout are a few diseases which can eventually cause OA.
Negative XXXXXXX and HLA mean that your wife is not suffering from lupus or ankylosing spondylitis. These are different diseases all together and have no relation with OA.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you, but you would say from her report and what I have described that she is hopefully not in a situation of facing BOTH OA and RA?
Is it common for people to develop both at some point, or OA with a RA disease such as Ankylosing spondylitis, Sjorgens, or lupus later in life if they already developed some OA and had relatives (as she does) with these diseases?
Is it common for people to develop both at some point, or OA with a RA disease such as Ankylosing spondylitis, Sjorgens, or lupus later in life if they already developed some OA and had relatives (as she does) with these diseases?
Answer to both questions is 'no', not at this age
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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