•Arthritis and AOII
Through the years, the AOII Foundation has been proud to provide
research grants which partially fund dozens of arthritis related
projects. In 1998 the Arthritis Foundation awarded its prestigious
Corporate Hero Award to the AOII Foundation for its ongoing support of
critical arthritis research and efforts to educate AOII members about
arthritis. For example, just during the past four years, the following
AOII grants relate to one of five types of arthritis common to women.
This is only a partial listing of the research grants supported by the
AOII Foundation.
In 1999
• Dr. Sharon Danoff-Burg, Ph.D., City U of New York, for the
“Longitudinal Study of Women & Men with Rheumatoid
Arthritis.”
• Dr. Susan Reisine, Ph.D., U of CT, for “Employment
Patterns and Health Status Among Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis and
Healthy Women.”
• Dr. Laura Schanberg, MD, Duke U Medical School, for “Daily
Stress, Daily Mood and Disease Activity in Juvenile Rheumatoid
Arthritis.”
In 2000
• Laura Schanberg, MD, Duke U Medical School, for “Daily
Stress, Daily Mood and Disease Activity in Juvenile Rheumatoid
Arthritis.” (2nd year)
• Dr. Bernard Dardzinski, Children’s Hospital Medical Center
in Cincinnati, for “Imaging Water Mobility of Cartilage in
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.”
In 2001
• Violeta Rus, MD, PhD, U of Maryland Medical School, for
“Cytokines as predictors of flare in systemic lupus
erythematosus.”
• Leslie Aaron, PhD, MPH, U of Washington for “The Role of
Illness-Related and Environmental Factors in Fibromyalgia.”
In 2002
• Pamela J. Degotardi, PhD, Schneider Children’s Hospital in
New York, for “A Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating the Efficacy
of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia
Syndrome (JPFS).”
• Julie Babensee, PhD, Georgia Tech, for “Tissue Engineering
for Rheumatoid Arthritis:
A Biomaterial Centered Approach for Controlling Dendritic Cell
Phenotype.”
• Anna H. Plaas, PhD, U of South Florida, for “Anabolic
Effect of Oral Glucosamine on Tissue Repair Following Injury.”
•Arthritis in Women
• Nearly 70 million American adults (or one in every three)
have some type
of arthritis or chronic joint symptoms.
• Forty one million of those affected are women.
• Three out of four people affected by osteoarthritis — the
most common
form of arthritis — are women.
•9 out of 10 people who have lupus are women.
• Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1.5 million women or 71 percent
of all cases of RA.
• Four of every five people affected with osteoporosis are
women.
• Fibromyalgia has been diagnosed in 3.7 million Americans, 3.3
million
of whom are women.
Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, and
osteoporosis are just a few of the various forms of arthritis and
related conditions that are more prevalent in women. The term
“arthritis” encompasses more than 100 diseases and
conditions that affect joints, the surrounding tissues and other
connective tissues. Arthritis can cause mild to severe pain in the
joints, as well as joint tenderness and swelling. Some of the diseases
also can affect other parts of the body, including the skin and internal
organs.
Preventing Arthritis
Arthritis is a serious health condition, but can be treated or even
possibly prevented. Many of the habits that are recommended for a
healthy lifestyle play a role in preventing some types of arthritis and
related conditions. Some common tips for prevention include:
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet to help maintain your
recommended
weight. Women who are overweight have a higher risk of developing
osteoarthritis in the knees.
• Talk to your doctor about taking vitamin and mineral
supplements.
For example, having insufficient levels of vitamin D decreases the
amount of calcium your body can absorb. That coupled with lower
calcium levels as you age can help contribute to osteoporosis.
• Exercise regularly to strengthen muscles around joints and
help
increase bone density. Exercise may reduce wear and tear on your
joints, which can help prevent injury and reduce the risk of osteo-
arthritis. Increased bone density also can help stave off
osteoporosis.
• Avoid smoking and limit your alcohol consumption to help
avoid
osteoporosis. Both habits weaken the structure of bone, which puts
you at higher risk for fractures.
• Discuss hormone replacement therapy with your physician if you
are
post-menopausal. Many women lose bone mass during the pre- and
post menopausal years when their ovaries stop producing estrogen.
One of estrogen’s functions is to help keep calcium in the
bones
and maintains bone mass. Lowered estrogen level is a major cause
of osteoporosis in women after menopause.
Treating Arthritis
Women must take their joint health seriously and see a health care
provider at the earliest warning signs of arthritis. To assess your
joint health, visit www.arthritis.org and take the Arthritis
Foundation’s joint health quiz. If you think you have arthritis,
or if you have been diagnosed with it, you can take steps to manage it.
There is no cure, but there are many ways you can take control of your
health in order to feel better and improve your quality of life. The
treatment plan you design with your health-care team may include
recommendations such as these:
• Exercise to lessen pain, increase movement and reduce
fatigue.
• Alternate periods of rest with activity. Pace yourself to help
protect
your joints from the stress of repeated tasks and to help reduce
fatigue. Learn ways to use your joints without putting undue
pressure on them.
• Use hot or cold compresses on joints for short-term pain relief
and
to help prepare for exercise.
• Work with you physician to determine the best
over-the-counter
or prescription medications that may help slow the progression
of arthritis and ease pain.
• Always work closely with your health-care team to find the
best
medication, diet and exercise program for you.
• Visit your health professional each year for a comprehensive
physical exam.
Living with Arthritis
Arthritis does not just affect your joints and tissues - it affects
every aspect of your life. People with arthritis are at a higher risk
for serious conditions such as premature death, heart disease, obesity,
depression and anxiety. Talk with your physician to find ways to deal
with arthritis in your life. Medications prescribed for arthritis can
lead to side effects such as nausea, skin rashes, weight gain, or other
complications. Arthritis can contribute to joint deformity, other
physical changes or profound fatigue. Living with a chronic condition is
not easy, and can lead to depression or anxiety about things ranging
from how to pay for medical care to how to find enough energy to cook
dinner. No matter how bad the picture may seem, you do have a choice
about how to deal with it. Surround yourself with excellent health-care
providers and supportive family and friends. Decide every day that you
will have the best attitude possible, and rely on your family and
friends to help you keep that attitude.
The Arthritis Foundation helps 70 million Americans take better control
of their arthritis. The mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to
improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of
arthritis and related diseases. You can learn more about your condition
and how to live better with it by taking advantage of their programs and
publications.
• Get free copies of educational booklets and brochures that
discuss different types of arthritis and related conditions,
medications, self-management tips and more.
• Sign up for classes, including the popular arthritis and
fibro-myalgia self-help courses, low-impact or no-impact exercise
classes, and water exercise programs.
• Share your successes, problems and tips for living with the
challenges of arthritis by joining an arthritis support group or club in
your area.
• Check out the Arthritis Foundation’s Website at
www.arthritis.org to get general arthritis information, updates on local
chapter activities, and more.
• Buy books, videos and newsletters written for people with
arthritis. Best sellers include: The Arthritis Foundation’s Guide
to Alternative Therapies, Your Personal Guide to Living Well with
Fibromyalgia, and People with Arthritis Can Exercise videos.
• Participate in a variety of fulfilling and fun events, programs
and fundraising activities to support quality-of-life initiatives for
people with arthritis.
• Join the Arthritis Foundation. You’ll receive a
subscription to the award-winning bimonthly magazine Arthritis Today,
and will help fund vital research to find better ways to prevent,
control, and cure arthritis and related conditions.
For more information on these and other offerings, call your local
Arthritis Foundation chapter or visit www.arthritis.org. To find a
chapter near you, call 1-800-283-7800.
A Sister’s Story
I have always considered myself to be a healthy, active woman. I have
worked as an attorney for the past 10 years, and have been actively
involved in many community organizations, in addition to my AOII alumna
work. I also have a fun-loving three year-old son who keeps me on my
toes.
In July 2002, however, shortly after the birth of our second child,
Eleanor, I began to experience a number of unusual symptoms, such as
joint pain in nearly every single joint (hands, knees, ankles, fingers,
toes, shoulders, and jaw), and morning stiffness that lasted for hours.
I could barely walk and could not hold the baby without severe pain. I
could not even make a fist. Opening water bottles and doors and getting
dressed--seemingly simple tasks--or walking up and down a flight of
stairs, proved extremely challenging. I sought medical testing
immediately, and in August 2002, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid
arthritis.
I have been coping with the disease ever since, and with proper
medication, support from my husband and family, good specialists, and
some lifestyle adjustments, am able to work part-time and function
better than I could several months ago, when I could barely get out of
bed in the mornings due to the joint inflammation. It was truly
encouraging to me that so many medications are now available to treat
this disease, and I do not think it was any small coincidence that the
fraternity that has been so much a part of my life for the last 15 years
is so active in the arthritis cause. I recently learned that AOII has
contributed $1 million to arthritis research! This is an amazing
statistic, given that Arthritis has only been our official philanthropy
since 1967! I truly have AOII to thank for the many treatment options,
and I want to tell every sister that her contributions, however small,
have made and continue to make a difference for me and other arthritis
patients.
Recently, I became an AOII Foundation Ambassador. It is my personal goal
to raise greater awareness about the many ways in which the Foundation
makes a difference in the lives of all AOII sisters. In this regard, I
am reminded of lyrics in the song “AOII, The Rose”:
“We share all things with each other, our hopes, our fears, our
goals. We will always be together, in our hearts and in our
souls.” I hope everyone in AOII will consider supporting the
Foundation’s endeavors.
Jessie Wang-Grimm, Phi Chi ‘87
©2001.
Arthritis Foundation
Reprinted, in part, with permission of the Arthritis Foundation,
1330 W. Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309.
To get your free copies of Arthritis Foundation brochures, call
(800)283-7800
or visit www.arthritis.org.
Canadian Arthritis Society
www.arthritis.ca
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