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The Effectiveness of Olive Oil in Controlling Morning Inflammatory Pain of Phalanges and Knees Among Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Hekmatpou, D, Mortaji, S, Rezaei, M, Shaikhi, M
Rehabilitation nursing : the official journal of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses. 2020;(2):106-113
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of olive oil in controlling morning inflammatory pain of phalanges and knees among women with rheumatoid arthritis. DESIGN This is a randomized clinical trial, which was done in Arak, Iran. METHOD After selecting 60 women based on a convenience sampling method, they were randomly allocated into five groups. A demographic questionnaire, the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Disease Activity Score 28 were completed. After 12 weeks of interventions, the last two scales were again completed. All data were analyzed using t test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Friedman test. RESULTS The mean age of the women was 40 ± 10.5 years. The result of the Friedman test showed a significant difference (p ≤ .001) among the total mean of groups before and after interventions. The post hoc test (least significant difference [LSD]) showed a significant difference (p ≤ .001) between the mean of Disease Activity Score 28 in the group using olive oil for massaging. Results also showed that there are significant differences (p ≤ .001) among the mean of Visual Analogue Scale rates, among the mean of the number of painful joints, and among the mean of the number of swollen joints after intervention in the five groups. CONCLUSION Applying topical extra virgin olive oil, Piroxicam gel, and paraffin oil; dry massaging; and taking routine drugs alone were all effective in controlling rheumatic arthritis manifestations, respectively. Therefore, applying topical extra virgin olive oil for controlling of inflammatory pain of joints in rheumatic arthritis is recommended. CLINICAL RELEVANCE In comparison with other medical ointments for RA, olive oil has lower expenditure and is findable in many homes.
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Head-to-head comparison of udenafil vs amlodipine in the treatment of secondary Raynaud's phenomenon: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study.
Lee, EY, Park, JK, Lee, W, Kim, YK, Park, CS, Giles, JT, Park, JW, Shin, K, Lee, JS, Song, YW, et al
Rheumatology (Oxford, England). 2014;(4):658-64
Abstract
OBJECTIVE RP is a reversible vasoconstriction of digital arteries that causes pain and skin discoloration. This study compared the efficacy of the new phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor udenafil with that of the calcium channel blocker amlodipine in the treatment of secondary RP. METHODS A total of 29 patients with secondary RP associated with connective tissue diseases were enrolled in this double-blind, randomized, cross-over study. The patients were randomized to receive udenafil 100 mg/day or amlodipine 10 mg/day for 4 weeks. After a washout period they were crossed over to the other drug for another 4 weeks. The primary outcome was RP frequency before and after treatment. The secondary outcomes were RP condition scores, RP duration, number of digital ulcers, HAQ, physician global assessment and digital artery flow before and after treatment. RESULTS Amlodipine and udenafil both decreased the rate of RP attack significantly. The drugs did not differ in terms of RP frequency or any of the secondary outcomes except for digital blood flow; udenafil improved it significantly better than amlodipine (P = 0.021). Udenafil was well tolerated without serious adverse effects. CONCLUSION Udenafil and amlodipine have comparable efficacy in improving RP attacks. In addition, udenafil improves the blood flow in digital arteries compared with amlodipine. TRIAL REGISTRATION www.clinicaltrials.gov, protocol number NCT01280266.
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Relation of oxidative biomarkers, vascular dysfunction, and progression of coronary artery calcium.
Ahmadi, N, Tsimikas, S, Hajsadeghi, F, Saeed, A, Nabavi, V, Bevinal, MA, Kadakia, J, Flores, F, Ebrahimi, R, Budoff, MJ
The American journal of cardiology. 2010;(4):459-66
Abstract
The relation between oxidative stress and coronary artery calcium (CAC) progression is currently not well described. The present study evaluated the relation among the biomarkers of oxidative stress, vascular dysfunction, and CAC. Sixty asymptomatic subjects participated in a randomized trial evaluating the effect of aged garlic extract plus supplement versus placebo and underwent measurement of CAC. The postcuff deflation temperature-rebound index of vascular function was assessed using a reactive hyperemia procedure. The content of oxidized phospholipids (OxPL) on apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB) particles detected by antibody E06 (OxPL/apoB), lipoprotein(a), IgG and IgM autoantibodies to malondialdehyde-low-density lipoprotein and apoB-immune complexes were measured at baseline and after 12 months of treatment. CAC progression was defined as an annual increase in CAC >15%. Vascular dysfunction was defined according to the tertiles of temperature-rebound at 1 year of follow-up. From baseline to 12 months, a strong inverse correlation was noted between an increase in CAC scores and increases in temperature-rebound (r(2) = -0.90), OxPL/apoB (r(2) = -0.85), and lipoprotein(a) (r(2) = -0.81) levels (p <0.0001 for all). The improvement in temperature-rebound correlated positively with the increases in OxPL/apoB (r(2) = 0.81, p = 0.0008) and lipoprotein(a) (r(2) = 0.79, p = 0.0001) but inversely with autoantibodies to malondialdehyde-low-density lipoprotein and apoB-immune complexes. The greatest CAC progression was noted with the lowest tertiles of increases in temperature-rebound, OxPL/apoB and lipoprotein(a) and the highest tertiles of increases in IgG and IgM malondialdehyde-low-density lipoprotein. In conclusion, the present results have documented a strong relation among markers of oxidative stress, vascular dysfunction, and progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Increases in OxPL/apoB and lipoprotein(a) correlated strongly with increases in vascular function and predicted a lack of progression of CAC.
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Self-monitoring of blood glucose with finger tip versus alternative site sampling: effect on glycemic control in insulin-using patients with type 2 diabetes.
Knapp, PE, Showers, KM, Phipps, JC, Speckman, JL, Sternthal, E, Freund, KM, Ash, AS, Apovian, CM
Diabetes technology & therapeutics. 2009;(4):219-25
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study compared glycemic control in finger tip versus forearm sampling methods of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS One hundred seventy-four insulin-using patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized to SMBG using either finger-tip testing (FT) or forearm alternative site testing (AST) and followed up for 7 months. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) was measured at baseline, month 4, and month 7. The study was designed to test the noninferiority of the AST method for the primary end point of change in HbA1C from baseline to month 7. Adherence with the testing schedule and frequency of hypoglycemic episodes were also measured. RESULTS The FT (n = 85) and AST (n = 89) groups each had significant decreases in mean HbA1C from baseline to month 7 (FT, -0.4 +/- 1.4%, P = 0.008; AST, -0.3 +/- 1.2%, P = 0.045), and noninferiority between groups was demonstrated with a margin of equivalence of 0.5 (P = 0.043). There was no observable difference in HbA1C change between the groups (P = 0.442). Adherence was better in the FT (87%) than the AST (78%) group (P = 0.003), which may have been because of the difficulty some subjects had in obtaining blood samples for AST. The number of hypoglycemic episodes was too small to assess for a difference between groups. CONCLUSIONS SMBG by the AST, rather than FT, method did not have a detrimental effect on long-term glycemic control in insulin-using patients with type 2 diabetes. Although adherence with testing was expected to be better in the AST group, it was actually better in the FT group.
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Strength training improves the tri-digit finger-pinch force control of older adults.
Keogh, JW, Morrison, S, Barrett, R
Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 2007;(8):1055-63
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of unilateral upper-limb strength training on the finger-pinch force control of older men. DESIGN Pretest and post-test 6-week intervention study. SETTING Exercise science research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Eleven neurologically fit older men (age range, 70-80y). INTERVENTION The strength training group (n=7) trained twice a week for 6 weeks, performing dumbbell bicep curls, wrist flexions, and wrists extensions, while the control group subjects (n=4) maintained their normal activities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Changes in force variability, targeting error, peak power frequency, proportional power, sample entropy, digit force sharing, and coupling relations were assessed during a series of finger-pinch tasks. These tasks involved maintaining a constant or sinusoidal force output at 20% and 40% of each subject's maximum voluntary contraction. All participants performed the finger-pinch tasks with both the preferred and nonpreferred limbs. RESULTS Analysis of covariance for between-group change scores indicated that the strength training group (trained limb) experienced significantly greater reductions in finger-pinch force variability and targeting error, as well as significantly greater increases in finger-pinch force, sample entropy, bicep curl, and wrist flexion strength than did the control group. CONCLUSIONS A nonspecific upper-limb strength-training program may improve the finger-pinch force control of older men.