December 11, 2018December 10, 2018

Silver Bells and Silver Linings

Columns, Scleroderma and the Ordinary Girl

Here in New Zealand, the festive season is upon us. Your average Kiwi Christmas in the Down Under is vastly different from holiday celebrations in the Northern Hemisphere. Today’s temperature ... Read more

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018

Fat-targeting Autoantibodies Linked to Increased Risk of Blood Clots, Miscarriage in Scleroderma Patients

News

Autoantibodies against fat molecules present in the membrane of cells, called antiphospholipid antibodies, are associated with an increased risk of blood clots and miscarriage among scleroderma (SSc) patients, a ... Read more

December 6, 2018December 6, 2018

TAK242 Prevents and Reverses Fibrosis in Mice, Could Be Potential Scleroderma Therapy, Study Suggests

News

Inhibiting a key innate immunity protein known as TLR4 with a compound called TAK242 prevented and reversed skin and lung fibrosis (scarring) in mouse models, and eased the production ... Read more

December 5, 2018December 4, 2018

‘Celebrating’ 20 Years of Being a Patient at the Scleroderma Unit

Columns, Living The Dream

This week, I am celebrating my 20th year since first dragging my “tin-man” body to the Scleroderma Unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The previous year, at ... Read more

December 4, 2018December 3, 2018

I’m Getting Real About Scleroderma

Columns, Scleroderma and the Ordinary Girl

I’m horrified to discover that I’ve been keeping a secret from myself, locked away in my subconscious. It has to do with my scleroderma and what I appear to ... Read more

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Is Main Cause of Death in SSc Patients, According to Study

News

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is the main cause of death among systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, according to a recent Chinese cohort study. Researchers found SSc-related clinical features that associate ... Read more

November 29, 2018November 29, 2018

High Levels of Pro-Inflammatory CX3CL1 Linked to Lung Fibrosis in Scleroderma Patients

News

High levels of CX3CL1, a pro-inflammatory molecule, in the lung tissue and blood are linked with pulmonary dysfunction in scleroderma (SSc) patients, a study reports. The study, “Augmented concentrations of CX3CL1 ... Read more

November 27, 2018November 26, 2018

My Routines Help Me to Feel in Control Despite ‘Random’ Scleroderma

Columns, Scleroderma and the Ordinary Girl

Scleroderma is a pretty “random” disease. I think the word “random” sums it up nicely for me at the moment.  Currently, my symptoms are haphazard, ranging from heart palpitations ... Read more

November 27, 2018November 27, 2018

Rate of Decline in ILD Better Predicts Survival in SSc than Baseline Severity, Researchers Say

News

A recent study found that short-term progression rate of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a better predictor of long-term survival than baseline ILD severity. ILD progression ... Read more

November 21, 2018November 19, 2018

A Look Back at My Scleroderma Treatments Over the Years

Columns, Living The Dream

At the start of December, I will be celebrating my 20th year since first dragging my “tin-man” body to the Scleroderma Unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London. ... Read more

November 20, 2018November 16, 2018

This Little Light of Mine

Columns, Scleroderma and the Ordinary Girl

At times, I can become really despondent when I see the changes that scleroderma has caused to my physical appearance. One of those times happened last weekend when I was trying ... Read more

November 20, 2018November 20, 2018

Non-invasive Ozone Therapy Shows Effectiveness in Treating Digital Ulcers

News

Non-invasive, local treatment of digital ulcers with ozone for 20 days showed clinical effectiveness in systemic sclerosis patients, according to a new study. The study, “Non-invasive Oxygen-Ozone Therapy in ... Read more