From Lupus To Arthritis: New Developments

This week’s health news round-up highlights some things that are getting better, and some things that are getting worse, and how to be on the right side of both:

New hope for lupus sufferers

Lupus is currently treated mostly with lifelong medications to suppress the immune system, which is not only inconvenient, but also can leave people more open to infectious diseases. The latest development uses CAR T-cell technology (as has been used in cancer treatment for a while) to genetically modify cells to enable the body’s own immune system to behave properly:

Read in full: Exciting new lupus treatment could end need for lifelong medication

Related: How to Prevent (Or Reduce The Severity Of) Inflammatory Diseases

It’s in the hips

There are a lot of different kinds of hip replacements, and those with either delta ceramic or oxidised zirconium head with a highly cross-linked polyethylene liner/cup have the lowest risk of need for revision in the 15 years after surgery. This is important, because obviously, once it’s in there, you want it to be able to stay in there and not have to be touched again any time soon:

Read in full: Study identifies hip implant materials with the lowest risk of needing revision

Related: Nobody Likes Surgery, But Here’s How To Make It Much Less Bad

Sooner is better than later

Often, people won’t know about an unwanted pregnancy in the first six weeks, but for those who are able to catch it early, Very Early Medical Abortion (VEMA) offers a safe an effective way of doing so, with success rate being linked to earliness of intervention:

Read in full: Very early medication abortion is effective and safe, study finds

Related: What Might A Second Trump Presidency Look Like for Health Care?

Increased infectious disease risks from cattle farms

Many serious-to-humans infectious diseases enter the human population via the animal food chain, and in this case, bird flu becoming more rampant amongst cows is starting to pose a clear threat to humans, so this is definitely something to be aware of:

Read in full: Bird flu infects 1 in 14 dairy workers exposed; CDC urges better protections

Related: With Only Gloves To Protect Them, Farmworkers Say They Tend Sick Cows Amid Bird Flu

Herald of woe

Gut health affects most of the rest of health, and there are a lot of links between gut and bone health. In this case, an association has been found between certain changes in the gut microbiome, and subsequent onset of rheumatoid arthritis:

Read in full: Changes in gut microbiome could signal onset of rheumatoid arthritis

Related: Stop Sabotaging Your Gut

Take care!