Archive for September, 2011
Michele Barrett
I’ve been involved with ARIA for 10 years in various capacities. I’m very excited about the difference I make in supporting this important research. I see many people who have resigned themselves to getting osteoarthritis, as if it’s a given. But I know first-hand that’s not the case. You see, I’m also a study participant. It shocked me to find out at age 40 that I already had signs of osteoarthritis, specifically, in my hands. But there are other participants a lot like me
who have no osteoarthritis! I really want to know “Why me?” Was it all those years of piano lessons? The broken arm I had at age 6? My knuckle-cracking habit? The long term study we’re conducting is designed to answer those questions.
Because we rely so heavily on volunteers (over 4000 volunteer participants and staff members since 1988) our studies are very low cost. To me, it’s exciting to be part of something important enough to 4000 other people that they’ve volunteered their time and talent to be a part of it too. There’s just nothing like being part of something this big and
impactful!
There are lots of opportunities for others who would like to volunteer. We’re headquartered in Clearwater, FL and right now we have an urgent need for people to help with our data integrity project. It doesn’t require special skills, just a willingness to learn. Call our office at 727.461.4054 if you think you might be interested. We’re open 8:30-4:30 every day but we
also have some evening shifts available if that suits your schedule.
Dr. Lissa Fahlman
I remember forty years ago when my grandmother would get gold shots in her knees to help with her rheumatism. Not only did she periodically get the gold shots, she was on such a high dosage of aspirin that she often had ringing in her ears. She also had large nodes on her fingers and trouble with her hands. Like many people of her age, she wasn’t a complainer, but she was not able to do many of the things she wanted to do because of her arthritis and at times she was in terrible pain. More recently, I’ve watched as my mother has developed arthritis in her hands and knees. Fortunately, it hasn’t been as severe as my grandmother’s – even so, she is not as able to do some of the activities she enjoys. I wonder what will be in store for me? What about the next generation of my family? Since before the time my grandmother, little progress has been made in preventing osteoarthritis. Limited advancements in pain medications and surgical techniques have improved treatment somewhat. However, the CDC still ranks arthritis as the leading cause of
disability in the United States. I am fortunate to be working with ARIA and it’s worldwide unique Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study (COS) database to learn more about arthritis and provide the basis for future prevention and improved treatments.
Memories of my grandmother as I was growing up in northern Minnesota, vivid as they are, did not directly propel me into arthritis research. I spent my latter teens, 20’s, and early 30’s in exploring parts of Alaska via commercial fishing and working for the US Forest Service. I managed to earn a BS in Math during this time, as well. Next I followed my interest in health and complementary medicine, attending Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon. I began practicing in the Portland area; then bought a small practice on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This
was a very interesting place to live and practice. In this medically under-served area, settled by whites and black slaves in the 1600’s (Martha Washington’s family had a plantation here), it was not uncommon to treat patients who were related and had problems. In treating multiple generations in some families, I was able to see what similar problems looked like in different life stages, but in real time. As would be expected, many of the older people I saw had complications due to arthritis. Many of the younger people I saw had injuries that would likely lead to arthritis. The middle-aged folks were in transition, beginning to experience some of the earlier symptoms of arthritis. This progression that I observed in my patients mirrored what I was seeing in my own family.
Although I loved my practice, in 2005 I sold it following a car accident that left me physically unable to continue to treat patients. Combining both my educational backgrounds (math & health), health research seemed a logical next step. In 2009, I graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa with a Master’s of Public Health in Epidemiology. I began working with the ARIA research team in 2010. I am very excited to be able to apply my professional, educational, and personal experiences and observations in osteoarthritis research. As we are able to access
more of the COS data, I anticipate new findings which may, some day, lead to preventing and more effectively treating osteoarthritis. It is my hope that the next generations of my family and your, won’t experience what my grandmother did.
Paul E. Leaverton, PhD, ARIA Director of Research
Paul E. Leaverton, PhD, ARIA Director of Research
My relationship with ARIA began in 1985, when I was Acting Director for Epidemiology and Biometry at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. I had just accepted a new position as founding chairman of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the new College of Public Health at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa. Early that summer, a quiet young man appeared at my door and asked for a few minutes of my time. He was Brian Burke, who had just begun working for a brand new research institute, ARIA, in Clearwater. Because I was administratively responsible for the Framingham (Massachusetts) Heart Study, upon
which ARIA was modeled, he wanted to discuss some of the study design and data management issues. He was surprised to learn that I would soon be moving to the Tampa Bay area; a happy coincidence. I readily agreed to meet with Dr. Barrett and his staff shortly after that time. Thus began a long and, though intermittent, fruitful collaboration. Sometime after my retirement (2001) from USF, Dr. Barrett informed me that “I had flunked retirement” and would I become the new director of research at ARIA? Once again, I readily agreed. There was one caveat; I would continue in this capacity as long as it was fun. Now, after 18 months on the job, it is more gratifying than I could have imagined. Although all three
of us on the research staff are part-time, we all very much enjoy working together and analyzing the valuable and voluminous ARIA data sets.
In the late 1980s, under the clear leadership of Dr. Barrett, with the advice of many scientists from around the country, the Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study (COS) took shape and became a reality. There is no question that the COS has become one of the most (if not the most) valuable data sets in the world by which to investigate the onset and natural progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Approximately 500 different variables have been recorded on over 3,700 volunteers over a 22-year period of time. Several subjects have data available for over ten years. Such longitudinal information is in persons with varying stages of OA provides the backbone of this epidemiologic study.
To date, there have been several ARIA publications adding to the scientific literature on the causes and progression of OA. However, in my opinion, the potential of the full data set has hardly been tapped. It is clear to all of us that many outstanding scientific contributions to the field are on the horizon. To ensure a scrupulously “clean” data set as we began new analyses, a project was launched a few months ago. We have labeled it the “Data Integrity Project” (DIP) and, with the unswerving, ongoing devotion of many ARIA volunteers, the entire COS data set is being re-entered and checked. A special report on the DIP will appear in a later newsletter.
The ARIA research staff consists of Epidemiologist Lissa Fahlman, DC, MSPH, Biostatistician Emmeline Sangeorzan, MPH, and me. To augment our capabilities, and taking advantage of the growing recognition of COS’s value, we have been gradually increasing our collaborative arrangements with scientists from other institutions. At this time, established investigators from the Universities of South Florida (Colleges of Medicine and Public Health), Georgia, Miami, Oxford University (UK), the National Center for Health Statistics, and The Florida Knee and Orthopedic Center, are involved in cooperative COS studies with ARIA staff. We are also ably assisted by a succession of graduate students from the
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the USF College of Public Health.
Enough of the Data Integrity Project has been completed that we are currently in the process of analyzing factors related to the early onset of knee osteoarthritis. Special reports on these and other important ARIA investigations will appear in forthcoming issues. Pardon the cliché, but it truly is an exciting time at ARIA. Every day, my staff and I are grateful for the many volunteers who are working so diligently to make possible all the current and forthcoming studies.
For additional information please visit www.preventarthritis.org.
The Foot May Be The Root
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Foot May Be The Root
Osteoarthritis in the foot may mean it will pop up in other sites
Clearwater, Florida - The foot may be the root of osteoarthritis elsewhere in the body. A study of more than 3,400 men and women older than 40 found that those with osteoarthritis in their feet are three times more likely to also develop stiff, aching joints in their hands or knees.
Even after considering the influence of age, gender and occupation, the subjects who had foot osteoarthritis had other painful sites to worry about, according to a study by the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA), a Clearwater, FL not-for-profit research organization.
“Researchers look at the mechanical side of developing osteoarthritis as well as the genetic side,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and ARIA’s executive director. “This study supports the genetic. Sometimes we develop osteoarthritis because of our genes.”
Osteoarthritis, which is the “wear and tear” form of arthritis, affects 27 million Americans after the age of 50. The study that correlates the effects of obesity in the peer-reviewed international journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Prescription for Exercise Dropouts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Prescription for Exercise Dropouts
Pain medications can cause some adults to drop out of exercise programs
Clearwater, Florida - It’s tough to figure out why people drop exercise programs; burnout, injuries or boredom are possible causes. A study of 143 adults in an osteoarthritis exercise program in Clearwater, FL pointed to another cause: relying on pain medications to ease the pain and stiffness of the disease.
During a two-year exercise study with men and women who had osteoarthritis, those who took pain medications were 54 percent more likely to drop out of the program. The dropout rate for those who were not taking pain medications was 20 percent, according to research by the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA), a Clearwater, FL not-for-profit organization.
“We’re not sure why that is, but it seems that we need to pay special attention to those medicating their pain when designing exercise studies,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and ARIA’s executive director. “Those taking medications may need more follow-up and motivation to stick with exercise than those who aren’t taking them.”
Osteoarthritis, which is the “wear and tear” form of arthritis, affects 27 million Americans after the age of 50. The study that correlates the effects of obesity in the peer-reviewed journal Physical Therapy.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL., but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Bigger Risks for Littler People
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Bigger Risks for Littler People
Low Stature and the Risk of Osteoarthritis Are Related
Clearwater, Florida - “Short people got no reason to live,” according to songwriter Randy Newman’s comic tune. A study by a Clearwater, FL research organization suggests that “height-challenged” people should also worry more about creaky joints and aching knees as they age than their taller counterparts.
Fifty percent of short women showed signs of hand osteoarthritis, while only 35 percent of tall women had signs of the disease. Osteoarthritis is the “wear and tear” form of arthritis that affects 27 million Americans after the age of 50. Over 3500 persons were “sized up” for this study. For both men and women, an increased chance of having osteoarthritis in the neck, hands, knees and feet was found among the subjects with the shortest height.
“We’re just beginning to assess why shorter people have a higher chance of this disease and, unfortunately, we can’t do anything about our height,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and executive director at The Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA). “But knowing that they have a higher risk for osteoarthritis can help these people take an active part in managing the risk factors they can control.”
A consistent exercise plan and sound nutrition have been shown to play a role in decreasing the risk of developing osteoarthritis. Avoiding activities that may lead to joint injuries is another good step. Some of ARIA’s other research findings suggest that joints which have been injured have a much higher risk of developing osteoarthritis.
ARIA’s study that links height and the chance of osteoarthritis was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Musculoskeletal Research. ARIA has been studying osteoarthritis since 1988. With Dr. Wilder, the paper’s co-authors were Paul E. Leaverton, Ph.D and Matthew Rogers, MS. Dr. Leaverton, Professor Emeritus, is the former chairman of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of South Florida. Mr. Rogers is a doctoral candidate and ARIA’s Director of Exercise.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL., but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Look at Your Shoes for the Clue
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Look at Your Shoes for the Clue
Ankles that turn in or out linked to a higher risk for foot osteoarthritis
Clearwater, Florida - Your shoes may be a sort of crystal ball to predict whether you’ll develop osteoarthritis in your feet. Excessive wear on the outside or inside of the soles may signal unstable ankles that have been associated with a higher risk of developing the pain and stiffness of foot osteoarthritis.
Ankles that turn in our out, even slightly, increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA) in the feet later in life. Supinators—those whose feet turn out—and pronators—those whose feet turn in—are 23 percent more likely to develop the stiffness and pain of OA in their big-toe joint than those who have a neutral foot. The medical term for this condition is hindfoot valgus. A study of more than 1,500 adults with osteoarthritis found the link between foot biomechanics and foot OA.
“A difference of five degrees from a neutral foot was found to be linked to a higher risk for foot OA, which suggest a biomechanical cause for OA,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and the executive director of the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA), which published the study in the peer-reviewed Foot & Ankle International. The study was co-written by Dr. Wilder with doctoral candidates Melissa Y. Mahiquez and Heidi M. Stephens.
Arthritis is a group of different diseases whose symptoms can range from stiff joints to complete immobility and pain. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, the “wear and tear” type that affects more than 27 million Americans after the age of 50 as their joints begin to age.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL., but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Hand in Hand: Aching Fingers Improve with Exercise
Hand in Hand: Aching Fingers Improve with Exercise
Adults with hand osteoarthritis saw modest gains with targeted exercises
Squeezy, squishy hand stress balls may increase your grip strength and relieve pain in your hands while you’re taking out your frustrations about traffic and kids on them. A study of 76 adults with hand osteoarthritis (OA) found a modest increase in grip strength and pain relief over not using them or substituting the therapy balls for a placebo cream.
The study subjects ranged in age from 55 to 93. Almost 60 percent reported using pain medication more than four days a week for hand pain. The Arthritis Institute of America (ARIA) completed the study, which is only the second ever written on the topic of exercise and hand OA.
“There’s much evidence of the benefits of exercise and we know it improves OA in the knees and other sites,” said Matt Rogers, MS, one of the study’s authors and ARIA’s exercise director. “Hand strength is essential for daily living skills such as opening jars, turning keys in locks and holding objects. Even a modest increase can make these tasks easier.”
Rogers, a doctoral candidate, co-wrote the paper with Frances Vaughn Wilder, Ph.D, ARIA’s executive director. It was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Hand Therapy. Arthritis is a group of different diseases whose symptoms can range from and conditions, its symptoms can range from stiff joints to complete immobility and pain. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, the “wear and tear” type that affects more than 27 million Americans after the age of 50 as their joints begin to age.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Get a Grip: Exercise Improves Hand Strength
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Get a Grip: Exercise Improves Hand Strength
In addition to its other benefits, strength training improves stiff, achy hands
Clearwater, Florida - Strength training makes you look better at the beach and helps you rake more leaves in the fall, but there are unexpected benefits to using weight machines to buff up. Grip strength which eased the stiff, achy joints of hand osteoarthritis (OA) also improved in 55 subjects who were part of a 24-month study.
The study subjects were 40 years of age and older and had OA in at least one hand joint. Their hand strength, pain and function improved after two years of exercises three times a week on a multi-station weight station. The greatest grip strength gains were made by subjects who ranged from 71 to 85 years old. Even though the exercise program was designed to benefit the body as a whole, the findings of increased grip strength could benefit the number of seniors who seek medical attention for hand OA.
“Even in those subjects that didn’t show much of a gain, strength training allowed them to maintain what they had, which is very important as we age,” said Matt Rogers, MS, one of the study’s authors and the exercise director at the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA), which completed the study. “Gripping the strength training equipment was a factor in showing an increase in hand grip strength.”
Rogers, a doctoral candidate, co-wrote the paper with Frances Vaughn Wilder, Ph.D, ARIA’s executive director. It was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Hand Therapy. Arthritis is a group of different diseases whose symptoms can range from and conditions, its symptoms can range from stiff joints to complete immobility and pain. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, the “wear and tear” type that affects more than 27 million Americans after the age of 50 as their joints begin to age.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL, but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742
Rainy Weather Doesn’t Make Those Old Bones Ache
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Rainy Weather Doesn’t Make Those Old Bones Ache
Debunking the old wives’ tale about joint pain and the weather
Clearwater, Florida - Grandpa may have been convinced that bad weather made his old bones ache but—like other myths about swallowing bubble gum or waiting a half hour after lunch to jump in the pool—the connection between bad weather and an increase in osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms is mostly an old wives’ tale.
Research by a Clearwater, FL organization that has been studying OA for more than 20 years proves there’s only a very slight relationship between the two—and only in women with aching hands. A study completed by the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) asked 154 adults 49 years of age and older with OA to keep three-year diaries of pain in their hands, neck, shoulder, knees and feet. Their pain scales were compared to weather records from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Researchers found no significant evidence of a link between OA pain and temperature or precipitation. It was only in women with hand osteoarthritis that days with rising barometric pressure were associated with more pain.
“There are so many variables to consider when studying the weather, but the only link we found between pain and the weather was in women with hand OA,” said Frances Vaughn Wilder, PhD, the study’s lead researcher and ARIA’s executive director. “Maybe Mom knows best after all.”
The study that correlates osteoarthritis pain and the weather was published in the peer-reviewed Rheumatology and was co-written by Dr. Wilder, former ARIA executive director Betty Jean Hall, RN and John P. Barrett, MD, an orthopedic surgeon who is also ARIA’s founder and the president of its board of directors.
Since 1988, the Arthritis Research Institute of America (ARIA) has been studying thousands of participants to learn more about osteoarthritis. The 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit research organization is based in Clearwater, FL., but its findings have been published worldwide. ARIA’s x-ray database is globally acknowledged as one of the most complete sources of information about the progression of osteoarthritis. For information, call (727) 461-4054.
Contact:
Michele M. Barrett
michelebarrett@gmail.com
300 S Duncan Ave
Suite 188
Clearwater, FL 33755
(727) 461-4054
(888) 554-2742