Aspirin Therapy for Osteoarthritis

HealthDay News - As preventive measures go, it's a pretty simple one: People with rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to develop heart disease, so they should take a low-dose aspirin once a day.

But new research suggests many patients aren't getting the message, potentially putting them at risk.

Researchers found that just 18 percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients are on aspirin therapy, widely considered an effective and inexpensive way to prevent heart attacks. Meanwhile, a similar group of people with other types of arthritis are significantly more likely to take aspirin each day -- 25 percent of them do so, the study found.

The reason for the oversight isn't clear, but it may have something to do with rheumatologists and primary-care doctors failing to consider a patient's overall health, said Dr. Eric Ruderman, an associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "Maybe we're not looking at the rest of the picture as much as we should," he said.

Rheumatoid arthritis is caused when the immune system begins attacking the body itself, causing pain and inflammation in the joints. It's one of the most serious and disabling types of arthritis, is most common among women, and often begins when people are in their 30s and 40s.

By contrast, osteoarthritis is caused when the cartilage that covers the ends of bones in the joint deteriorates, producing pain and loss of movement as bone begins to rub against bone, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

The connection between rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease >