ArthritisCentral News and Views #18 -- 07/15/05

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DATE : Fri, 15 Jul 2005 09:00:00 -0500
Entered in Database : 2005-07-15 14:00:00
length : 13787264
Link to the Show / Show Notes

• A medical advisory panel in Canada has recommended that Vioxx be brought back on the market in that country.
  
• Important points made by the panel regarding Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra, as well as the traditional NSAIDS are discussed.
  
• The panel also suggested that ibuprofen be removed from the over-the-counter shelves and require a prescription from a physician, due to its own possible side effect problems.
  
• The lack of a protective effect of aspirin when used in conjunction with these NSAIDS is addressed.
  
• This positive panel recommendation may provide Merck with ammunition in its defense against numerous lawsuits that it is facing.
  
• Obese arthritis patients who "stroll" rather than walking briskly may actually derive greater benefit with less potential damage to knee joints.
  
• Potential benefits from the use of the antibiotic doxycycline (a form of tetracycline) for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee is debated.
  
• Short-term versus long-term improvement in osteoarthritic knees with "real" versus "sham" acupuncture treatments is discussed following the publication of an article on this subject.
  
• The pros and cons of the preventive use of aspirin and vitamin E in women for cancer and heart disease is discussed following the publication of a 10-year study involving 40,000 female patients.
  
• The potential benefits of using COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex for the treatment of lung cancer will be investigated in a new study being done at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston. Possible mechanisms for COX-2 inhibitors helping to combat cancer are discussed.
  

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