UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center investigator Yvonne Golightly, PT, PhD, and her colleague Abbie Smith-Ryan, PhD, (UNC Department of Exercise and Sport Science), are researching High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) as a new, promising approach to add to rehabilitation programs for people with knee osteoarthritis. HIIT includes very short periods of vigorous exercise, as opposed to longer periods of moderately paced exercise. The research is made possible thanks to funding from the NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHID).

Beth L. Jonas, M.D., a leading rheumatology thought leader, has been awarded the endowed Reeves Foundation Distinguished Professorship in Arthritis Research. Endowed professorships are one of the highest honors bestowed by UNC upon faculty, in order to recognize the University’s most accomplished scientists and educators. In addition to honoring exceptional achievement, these professorships help the University recruit, retain, and support the highest quality faculty for its Department of Medicine. Dr. Jonas, who is Interim Chief for the UNC Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, and Director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program at the Thurston Arthritis Research Center, is a nationally recognized clinician educator who has served in numerous leadership roles within the rheumatology community. (More…)

Findings from Thurston Arthritis Research Center scientists and Thurston-affiliated researchers have been published in Arthritis Care and Research. The study focused on “Fear of Movement and Associated Factors Among Adults with Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis.” It concluded that fear of movement (FOM) was common for these patients, and suggested that behavioral and psychological interventions may decrease FOM as well as improve outcomes. (More…)

For more than 25 years, the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project has established itself as one of the premier longitudinal research studies world-wide regarding the causes, societal implications, and means of addressing the impact of osteoarthritis. Ongoing research is providing important new insights regarding how osteoarthritis is diagnosed and assessed clinically, as well as how it can be addressed in community settings.

Aging is the greatest risk factor for osteoarthritis, but little is known about how specific age-related changes to cells cause the breakdown of cartilage. The research funding provided by a grant from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) will enable Dr. Diekman to study mechanisms of aging across different tissue systems. The hope is that this type of research will help play a role in advancing new discoveries that can help prevent and better treat all forms of arthritis. (More…)

Topics covered range from whether Osteoarthritis (OA) might be a predictor of mortality, challenges associated with management of the disease, the impact of musculoskeletal health on disability, and implications of obesity on musculoskeletal health. (More…)

Members of the military and veterans are disproportionally affected by pain, and the government is searching for ways to help them deal with this widespread and growing problem. New research being conducted thanks to multiple grants recently awarded by DHHS, the Department of Defense, and the VA will help investigate the feasibility, safety and effectiveness for a number of non-drug approaches for pain management and related conditions. (More…)

Lupus patients who previously needed to visit an infusion center to receive the drug Benlysta, now have the option to administer the medicine themselves at home using a novel “auto-injector” device, thanks in part to the efforts of Dr. Saira Sheikh, who is a rheumatologist and allergist/immunologist at UNC, and who also directs the Lupus and Clinical trials programs at the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center. (More…)

Dr. Scott Commins describes alpha-gal allergy, which scientists believe is triggered by a tick bite and can cause an allergic reaction to red meat. Dr. Commins talks about the symptoms of a reaction, how a person can be tested for the allergy, and changes in diet recommended for patients who have alpha-gal. (More…)

We know that different factors such as aging and injury can have an impact on whether or not a person develops osteoarthritis, as well as the progression of their disease. But could the composition of the bacteria in a person’s “gut” have an impact as well? (More…)