Roche brings health experts to share latest updates on Rheumatoid Arthritis and Juvenile Arthritis
To mark the national Rheumatoid Arthritis awareness month June as proclaimed by the Ministry of Public Health back in 2011, Roche Lebanon SARL in the presence of the Lebanese Society of Rheumatology and the Association of Arthritis Patients in Lebanon 'IRADA' announced today during a media session, the latest updates on Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) at the Phoenicia Hotel.
Health experts in the field of RA stressed on the warning signs as well as the importance of early diagnosis in order to administer the right treatment depending on the severity of the disease.
"Most people perceive arthritis as one disease, affecting only old people; however, arthritis affects all ages and is an umbrella term for more than 100 joint diseases that can affect the whole body with an extra articular manifestation, including major organs. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, the kind due to wear and tear on the joints over time, but also rheumatoid arthritis is another type, that results from dysfunction of the autoimmune system and can occur at any age and if left untreated becomes a very debilitating disease", said Dr. Georges Merheb, President of the Lebanese Society of Rheumatology and head of the Rheumatology Division at the Faculty of Medicine of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) and CHU-Notre Dame des Secours Jbeil. "It's a condition that affects millions around the world, both young and old, therefore awareness campaigns remain essential to spread the word about joint health, prevention, and treatment" he added.
Professor Imad Uthman, Head of the Division of Rheumatology at the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Centre of the American University of Beirut, explained that early medical intervention can limit rheumatoid arthritis from progressing and in many cases leads to complete disease remission. But the challenge remains in the fact that it is taking patients many months from the first disease signs appearing until a formal diagnosis is done and treatment is initiated. He said: "Delays in medical interventions can have enormous and serious consequences for the patient of which are: disability, damage to the major body organs, and a significantly shortened life expectancy. The root of this delay is a widespread lack of knowledge."
"Rheumatoid Arthritis is often synonymous with adult diseases, but the truth is that juvenile arthritis (JA) affects approximately 300,000 children around the world ages 16 and younger. Cases of juvenile arthritis in children can range from mild to severe, with the most progressive forms confining young patients to wheelchairs. Systemic arthritis spreads through the entire body, causing inflammation in the joints accompanied by an intermittent fever, skin rashes, anemia, enlargement of the liver or spleen, and in severe cases inflammation of the lining of the heart and/or lungs. Current treatments are made available to halt the disease from progressing bringing it to a state of remission. The key remains to getting a proper diagnosis early on in order to take immediate measures" explained Dr. Nelly Ziade, rheumatologist at Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital.
As part of their responsibility towards the Lebanese community, Roche considers specialized media sessions are essential to spreading public awareness. Commenting on the event Mr. Abed Al Rahman Sabra, Country Manager of Roche Lebanon said: "the National month for awareness creates an opportunity to provide a refresher session to the health journalists about the basic science, warning signs and the many challenges the patients and their families face when suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that does not discriminate; anyone, at any age can be touched. With today's research advancement in the field of rheumatoid arthritis tremendous medical alternatives are available offering patients a better quality of life."
"We are committed to raising the level of awareness on rheumatoid Arthritis and juvenile arthritis among the public by supporting local patient support group's initiatives such as in their recent on ground involvement in the 10K Women's Challenge Marathon" he continued.
