Rheumatology
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Multicenter Study
The impact of musculoskeletal hand problems in older adults: findings from the North Staffordshire Osteoarthritis Project (NorStOP).
Hand problems are common in older people, but their impact on everyday life is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of hand problems in community-dwelling older adults and how this varies with age and gender. ⋯ Musculoskeletal hand problems are common in the population aged over 50 yrs. Most are painful, and have a significant impact on everyday life. Women and the very old appear especially vulnerable to the effect of hand problems on their daily activities.
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Illness perceptions may influence health outcomes, including pain. The objective of the study was to investigate the illness perceptions associated with health and behaviour in a population of older adults with musculoskeletal hand problems. ⋯ The results suggest that older people who consider their musculoskeletal hand problem to have negative effects on their life will be more likely to encounter difficulties that may lead them to consult, take medication or both. Understanding the illness perceptions of these individuals may identify opportunities for intervention.
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Recent studies indicate that the anti-malarial agent artemisinin and its derivatives may exert an anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, we explored the effect of artesunate, an artemisinin derivative, on tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced production of interleukins, IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8, in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), and further investigated the signal mechanism by which this compound modulates those cytokines' production. ⋯ Our results indicate that artesunate exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in RA FLS and provide the evidence that artesunate may have therapeutic potential for RA.