Rheumatoid Arthritis Expert Mark Borigini, M.D. shares Rheumatoid Arthritis management news and commentary at MyRACentral.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53 http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53 http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/93348/update Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:20:00 -0500 Mark Borigini, M.D. American College of Rheumatology (ACR) National Meeting, 2009:  Update on Novel Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments   A year ago I discussed the Janus Kinases (JAKs), a family of enzymes discovered in 1988.  Some of these enzymes located in cells can play a role in the control of biochemicals which are involved with diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.    JAK inhibitors continue to draw much attention from... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/93348/update http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/87206/means Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:59:00 -0400 Mark Borigini, M.D. Those of us who remember those days when the only treatment for rheumatoid arthritis was aspirin and hot paraffin, also remember that to speak of remission was considered by many an audacious act.   However, in the past twenty years, two breakthroughs allowed for improvement in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis:  The development of measures of response for rheumatoid arthritis, accepted by regulatory agencies such as... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/87206/means http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/85228/immune Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:39:00 -0400 Mark Borigini, M.D. Many medications prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis can weaken the immune system, including prednisone, methotrexate, and, of course, the biologic agents such as Humira, Enbrel and Remicade, to name but a few.  The use of these medications can make a patient more susceptible to the H1N1 virus (the so-called swine flu) and the regular seasonal influenza.  And if a patient on an immunosuppressive drug does contract such a viral illness,... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/85228/immune http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/55491/double Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:52:00 -0400 Mark Borigini, M.D. While the past decade has seen great advances in the understanding and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, there are still segments of the rheumatoid arthritis population that have not been able to even try many newer treatments due to the presence of other illnesses. Such patients must deal with more than one potentially life-shortening illness, and the realization that they are unable to reap the benefits of available treatments. One such... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/55491/double http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/55492/disease Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:57:00 -0500 Mark Borigini, M.D. I have discussed here more than once the increased risk of death in rheumatoid arthritis patients when compared to healthy individuals. Interestingly, one-third to one-half of premature deaths in rheumatoid arthritis is due to cardiovascular disease; and it appears that inflammation plays a large role in the hardening of the arteries seen in atherosclerosis. A good sense of the magnitude of the role of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/55492/disease http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/52121/superior Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:17:00 -0500 Mark Borigini, M.D. While the traditional x-ray is still the radiologic tool most used by rheumatologists to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has slowly but surely developed a following among some rheumatologists. This is because MRI studies can show much more detail than the plain x-ray.   The question, however, remains to be answered: Does the use of MRI change how a rheumatologist treats his patients, the ultimate goal... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/52121/superior http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/52124/taking Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:34:00 -0500 Mark Borigini, M.D. The question invariably asked by every rheumatoid arthritis patient: Do I have to take these medications for the rest of my life?   I do not know the answer to this question for any individual patient. But I do know that the answer, in general, is usually, yes.   Yes, because there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Yes, because most patients suffer a flare of their rheumatoid arthritis when they stop their... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/52124/taking http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/47720/standard Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:39:00 -0500 Mark Borigini, M.D. Most U.S. rheumatologists would agree that the standard of care when it comes to treating rheumatoid arthritis in is: If a rheumatoid arthritis patient isn't helped by methotrexate, then add an anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) drug, one of the so-called biologic agents that have proven so effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The effectiveness of the anti-TNF drugs should not be minimized. These agents (among them Enbrel, Humira... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/47720/standard http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/47721/biologic Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:15:00 -0500 Mark Borigini, M.D. UPDATE ON BIOLOGICAL AGENTS FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS FROM THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY (ACR) ANNUAL MEETING, 2008 I recently wrote a blog hailing the oral "small molecules" for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. But I certainly have not forgotten that the biologics are the most effective agents currently available to rheumatologists. Nor have I forgotten that there are many biologics in the pipeline, some of them about to splash... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/47721/biologic http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/47073/american Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:56:00 -0500 Mark Borigini, M.D. I just returned from the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco. And while there is no doubt I will miss the City, there is also a fairly equal certainty that the future of rheumatoid arthritis treatment was well-addressed. It appears that the next major advance in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis will be the oral small-molecule drugs. These drugs will target different enzyme pathways, which, if left... http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/53/47073/american