![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ed_uk on July 9, 2005, at 0:10:39
Doxycycline, a common antibiotic, may be useful in osteoarthritis..........
Doxycycline may slow osteoarthritis progress
Doxycycline slows the rate of disease progression in osteoarthritis of the knee, according to researchers.Kenneth Brandt, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, and colleagues conducted a randomised controlled trial involving 431 obese women with unilateral radiographic knee osteoarthritis. Participants received 100mg doxycycline or placebo twice daily for 30 months. Joint space narrowing in the knee — indicative of thinning of articular cartilage — was measured at baseline, 16 and 30 months and severity of pain was recorded at six-monthly intervals.
The researchers found that the mean loss of joint space width at 16 months was 40 per cent less in the doxycycline group than in the placebo group (0.15±0.42mm vs 0.24±0.54mm; P=0.027). At 30 months it was 33 per cent less in the doxycycline group (0.30±0.60mm vs 0.45±0.70mm; P=0.017).
The mean severity of joint pain was not reduced by doxycycline, although the researchers note that the frequency of follow-up visits at which participants reported a 20 per cent or greater increase in pain compared with the previous visit was lower in the doxycycline group (P=0.004).
“In both knees, the rate of joint space narrowing was more than twice as rapid in subjects who reported frequent increases in knee pain as in those with a stable pain score, appearing to validate the clinical importance of retardation of articular cartilage loss,” say the researchers.
They note that doxycycline did not have a significant effect on joint space narrowing or pain severity in the opposite knee and suggest that it may have interfered with processes driving cartilage breakdown in the osteoarthritic knee (Arthritis & Rheumatism 2005;52:2015).
Posted by ed_uk on July 9, 2005, at 0:10:40
Rimonabant shows benefits other than weight loss
Rimonabant, a drug being developed by sanofi-aventis, exerts direct metabolic effects on type 2 diabetes independent of weight loss, according to results from the rimonabant in obesity (RIO)-diabetes trial.
The one-year trial randomised 1,045 overweight or obese type 2 diabetes patients to rimonabant 5mg, 20mg or placebo each day. All patients were on a mild hypocalorific diet (-600kcal/day) throughout the study.
The primary end point of absolute change in body weight from baseline was –1.4kg, –2.3kg and –5.3kg in the placebo, 5mg and 20mg groups, respectively.
In addition, after one year HbA1c levels rose, on average, by 0.1 per cent in the placebo group and dropped by 0.6 per cent in the rimonabant 20mg group (P<0.001). High-density lipoprotein rose by 2.7mg/dl in the placebo group and by 6.6mg/dl in the rimonabant 20g group (P<0.001). Triglycerides rose by 3.6mg/dl in placebo-treated patients and fell by 31.2mg/dl in those treated with rimonabant (P<0.001). Adverse events included nausea, dizziness, hypoglycaemic episodes, anxiety, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Presenting the results at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego last month, lead investigator André Scheen, professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at the University of Liège, Belgium, said: “The results are explained by weight loss only partly, suggesting rimonabant may exert direct metabolic effects in type 2 diabetes.”
Posted by ed_uk on July 9, 2005, at 0:10:40
Latest GSK vaccines target “biggest killers”
Five new vaccines due to be launched over the next five years will target some of the diseases that are the biggest killers today, according to GlaxoSmithKline. Updating delegates at a conference last week, the company highlighted recent trial data for its pipeline vaccines Cervarix, Rotarix, Streptorix, an improved influenza vaccine and its new vaccine combinations against meningitis.
Cervarix, a vaccine designed to protect against cervical cancer, targets the virus subtypes responsible for more than 70 per cent of these cancers. The company said that clinical trials have shown that Cervarix offers 100 per cent protection against persistent HPV-16 and HPV-18 infection for at least 27 months. GSK will be filing for approval for the vaccine in Europe in 2006.
Rotarix, developed to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis is the only rotavirus vaccine with a two-dose regimen that allows for early protection, GSK informed delegates. It said trials have shown it to be safe and effective in children under two years and that the vaccine will lead to a substantial reduction in hospital admissions and death. GSK has submitted regulatory filings for Rotarix in Europe.
The company also outlined data from a trial of about 5,000 children showing that Streptorix, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, protected about one-third of them from developing acute otitis media. Streptorix has been designed to provide protection against the 10 most important pneumococcal serotypes, including three serotypes not contained in Prevenar, the currently available vaccine. GSK added that regulatory filings are planned for 2007.
Regarding the flu vaccine, GSK said that it intends to double production of Fluvarix by 2008. It is also developing an improved flu vaccine for the elderly designed to restore T-cell responses to levels seen in younger people and to enhance protection against mutating flu strains. The company highlighted preliminary data from a study of 360 elderly people showing that the product is as well tolerated as Fluvarix and increases flu-specific T-cell responses by around 60 per cent. Large phase III trails are expected to start in 2006.
The company also summarised progress with its combinations of new meningitis conjugate vaccines, one of which, Menitorix (Hib-MenC) is awaiting UK approval.
Posted by SLS on July 9, 2005, at 0:10:40
In reply to Doxycycline for osteoarthritis..., posted by ed_uk on July 8, 2005, at 15:32:19
Doxycycline possesses anti-inflammatory properties. It might even help to relieve depression in those people for whom inflammatory processes contribute to the illness.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on July 9, 2005, at 0:10:40
In reply to Re: Doxycycline for osteoarthritis..., posted by SLS on July 8, 2005, at 19:43:13
What! They gave me this first for lymes disease. It made me extremely photophobic. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Darwin on July 9, 2005, at 15:42:05
In reply to Doxycycline for osteoarthritis..., posted by ed_uk on July 8, 2005, at 15:32:19
Low dose (20mg/day) doxycyline is also used to treat periodontal disease. At 20mg/day, its mode of action is as a collagenase inhibitor and not as a antimicrobial. I suspect that its beneficial effect in treating osteoarthritis is also due to its collagenase inhibition. If so, perhaps a dose of 20mg/day would have worked as well as the higher dosage used in the study.
Posted by Phillipa on July 9, 2005, at 19:06:21
In reply to Re: Doxycycline for osteoarthritis... » ed_uk, posted by Darwin on July 9, 2005, at 15:42:05
Hi Ed! Guess what! Doxycycline is the drug of choice for Lymes disease. Since I have chronic lymes and osteoarthritis doesn't it make sence for me to take it. Kill two birds with one stone. it does cause photophobia and I had to get off it before because my skin burned so bad but since the face thing I'm staying out of the sun so it's not an issue. What do you thing? Fondly, PJO
Posted by ed_uk on July 10, 2005, at 11:11:12
In reply to Re: Doxycycline for osteoarthritis... » ed_uk, posted by Darwin on July 9, 2005, at 15:42:05
Hi Darwin,
In the UK, doxycycline is available as a 20mg tablet called Periostat - specifically for treating periodontal disease.
>I suspect that its beneficial effect in treating osteoarthritis is also due to its collagenase inhibition.
I agree :-)
Kind regards
~Ed
Posted by ed_uk on July 10, 2005, at 11:12:39
In reply to Re: Doxycycline for osteoarthritis..., posted by Phillipa on July 9, 2005, at 19:06:21
Hi PJ!
It could be useful, but buy plenty of sunblock if you do need to go out in the sun. Did you have any other side effects apart from photosensitivity?
~Ed xxx
Posted by Phillipa on July 10, 2005, at 19:32:43
In reply to Re: Doxycycline for osteoarthritis... » Phillipa, posted by ed_uk on July 10, 2005, at 11:12:39
No other side effects. The second time my titer came back positive I was not in the same hospital that the Infection Control Specialist who first treated me with PIC line Rocephin was. This infection control doc gave me one dose of doxy. It stopped the twitching in my legs. He dc'd it the next day because I was going back to the original doc. That's when they gave me the doxy and I sunburned horribly. So because I was out in the sun so much them they changed it to long acting Biaxin. Now since the you know what surgery I'm taking care not to be in the sun and always wear a 30 sunblock. Fondly, PJ O
Posted by Phillipa on July 12, 2005, at 17:48:37
In reply to Re: Doxycycline for osteoarthritis... » ed_uk, posted by Phillipa on July 10, 2005, at 19:32:43
Oh, I didn't have CA surgery it was cosmetic. But I appreciate the info and I know a lot of others as well will. I know it's a lot of trouble but maybe you could post this on the Health Board. Fondly, Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Health | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.