About Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Drugs Used to Treat Them

According to the Arthritis Foundation, in 1985 there were roughly 35 million Americans living with arthritis, a chronic, disabling joint disease. By 2002 that figure had ballooned to 70 million, which translates to one in three adults. More than 300,000 of these victims are children. Today, arthritis is the nation's number-one cause of disability in Americans over age 15 and second behind only heart disease in leading causes of work disability. Of the various forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis affect the largest number of people. Sadly, the number of arthritis cases is expected to skyrocket in the next few years, and women and baby boomers are at highest risk.

Generally speaking, arthritis is characterized by chronic joint inflammation, which can be caused by injury, infection, or normal "wear and tear." The disease causes chronic pain, loss of movement, and swelling, all of which can limit a person's ability to walk, perform job duties, bathe, or carry out many everyday activities. Currently, there is no cure for arthritis, although there have been a number of arthritis drugs available over the years to alleviate symptoms. But the problem is that none of these drugs - including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cox 2 inhibitor drugs -- is a miracle treatment. In fact, the most common drugs - including Celebrex®, Bextra®, and Arava® - have been linked to serious side effects, and Vioxx was voluntarily recalled in late September 2004.

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis; the most common include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. There are drugs to treat these conditions, but there is no cure for either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

A degenerative disease of the joints, osteoarthritis is characterized by deteriorating cartilage around the ends of bones and bone spur formation around the joints. As cartilage deteriorates, the bones begin to rub together, causing debilitating pain. There is no one known cause of osteoarthritis, but most experts pinpoint aging as the main culprit.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

• Swelling of the joints
• Stiffness in the mornings
• Deep ache - more noticeable after exercise
• Grating of the joint
• Joint pain during rainy weather

Currently, arthritis, namely osteoarthritis, can be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), COX-2 inhibitor drugs, corticosteroids, glucosamine, and chondroitin.

To learn more about osteoarthritis, contact an arthritis drugs attorney in your area.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that causes joint linings to become inflamed, resulting in sometimes excruciating, debilitating pain. The disease is most likely to affect women.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Joint pain
• Joint stiffness in the morning
• Swollen glands
• Numbness
• Skin inflammation
• Eye irritation
• Limited motion

Rheumatoid arthritis can be treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS), corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants.

To learn more about arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and Cox 2 inhibitor drugs, contact an arthritis drugs attorney who specializes in pharmaceutical litigation.

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