EMBARGO Lifted: Hold for release until Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011, 4 p.m. CT
American College of Rheumatology
Journalists: For links to video and audio files, see the bottom of this post.
Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to chronic, debilitating inflammation of the joints and other parts of the body. People over 50 with the condition are more likely to break a bone from a fall or sometimes even mild stress such as coughing. However, little has been known about the fracture risk among rheumatoid arthritis patients under 50.
A Mayo Clinic study finds that women under 50 with rheumatoid arthritis are at greater risk of breaking bones than women without the condition. Men with rheumatoid arthritis are also in more danger of fractures, but that risk seems to surface when they are older, researchers found. The study is being presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual scientific meeting in Chicago.
Lead researcher Shreyasee Amin, M.D., a rheumatologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., says women under 50 with rheumatoid arthritis need to know that even though they are young, they need to take greater care to prevent fractures.
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