We like to complain about our aches and pains, but rheumatism is not only the preserve of western society. A comprehensive survey of rheumatic diseases in China, published in the open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy, reveals that rheumatic complaints are also common in China.

Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States. Over the next 25 years as the Baby Boom generation continues to age, the toll of this disease will escalate.

Individuals with scleroderma are living significantly longer today, compared with 30 years ago, and the physicians who treat this rare disease of connective tissue hope the newer drugs now on the market may extend lives even further.

Inflammatory rheumatic disease and smoking independently predict aortic inflammation, suggests study of coronary artery surgery survivors

The common painkiller, ibuprofen, may boost the likelihood of heart problems in high risk patients who have osteoarthritis, suggests research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.