ALTHOUGH arthritis still cannot be cured, the outlook for the eight million people in the UK who suffer from its crippling effects is better than ever.

That's mainly due to the improvement of drug therapies in the treatment of the whole range of arthritic conditions.

So drugs not only control the pain associated with swollen, stiff joints, but can also reduce inflammation, and, in some cases, affect the disease process itself.

Another group of drugs - known as immunosuppressants because they suppress the body's immune system - are also used to treat cancer and have only been used in the treatment of arthritis in recent years. With so many different types of drug therapy, newly-diagnosed patients often get confused about what they are taking, and about the possible side effects.

Medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign has produced an information sheet on Drugs and Arthritis, which explains the role of drugs in the treatment of arthritis and introduces the main groups of drugs used.

Copies are available, free of charge, from the address below. Please enclose a 9x6 SAE.

HELEN HUDDLESS, ARC, St Mary's Gate, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 7TD.

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