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MARRTC & The Missouri School of Journalism
STORY IDEAS FOR COVERING ARTHRITIS--Summer, 2005
The following is a list of story ideas that can serve as trampoline for more in-depth reporting.
For a complete list of stories available for reprint, go to www.marrtc.org/media/reprint.html
Silent predator: Two new studies found that lupus increases a person's risk of both heart disease and cancer. How should people with lupus make sense of the bad news?
First came the news that people with lupus have a higher chance for developing cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. Shortly after, the other shoe fell as researchers claimed that people with lupus have a higher risk of all cancers. Is it really THAT bad? Not necessarily, several experts say. But more importantly, how are people with lupus to make sense of this increasingly horrifying information without panicking unnecessarily? What screening tests and precautions should they discuss with their physicians to ward off medical calamities and stay healthy?
For two related stories, go to: http://www.marrtc.org/media/stories/050520lupuscvd.html AND http://www.marrtc.org/media/stories/050629lupuscancer.html
Soy and your bones: An effective and safer alternative to hormone replacement therapy?
The nutritional values of soy have been extolled, ignored and questioned for years. While most of the medical attention has focused on soy's cholesterol-lowering properties, there is something to be said about its effects on bone health. Many women who enter menopause are at high risk for bone loss and osteoporosis due to estrogen loss. Until recently, hormone-replacement therapy offered the best way to safeguard womenÕs bones. However, recent research found that hormone replacement might increase one's risk of cardiovascular disease. Are natural compounds found in soy a safer alternative to preserve bone health? How much is really known about soy's bone protective qualities? Above all, can people afford to rely SOLELY on soy for their bone health or should they continue taking their calcium and vitamin D supplements? For related story, go to: http://www.marrtc.org/media/stories/050617SoyOsteo.html
Fun in the Sun: Vacationing and travel tips for people with rheumatoid arthritis
Summer vacations and travel to exotic places can be exhilarating, yet taxing on people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or other autoimmune conditions. Fatigue, joint pain and stiffness can drain the energy and sap the joy out of your R & R time. What are some of the dangers of summer vacationing and what simple steps can people with RA take to avoid them? For related story, go to: http://www.marrtc.org/media/stories/050616RATravel.html
Growing Pains or Juvenile Arthritis: Is your child's pain more than just growing pains?
Some 285,000 children in the United States have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), but a diagnosis of JRA is not always straightforward and easy, partly because JRA can mimic the symptoms of other conditions, such as growing pains, which affects one in five adolescents. So when is your child's pain just innocent growing pains and when is it a harbinger of something more ominous? Distinguishing JRA from growing pains should be fairly easy for any experienced doctor, but delayed or wrong diagnoses happen more often then they should. What are some of the signs that parents should be on the watch out for? For related story, go to: http://www.marrtc.org/media/stories/050518growingpains.html
Equal-opportunity destroyer: Arthritis is ravaging, under-diagnosed among Latinos, more damaging among minorities Arthritis is an equal-opportunity destroyer, sweeping across racial, ethnic and economic divides. But while arthritis strikes indiscriminately, it affects racial and ethnic minorities differently. Despite similar prevalence of arthritis among minorities and whites, minorities suffer more limitations from the disease. What are some of the factors accounting for this discrepancy? For related stories, go to: http://www.marrtc.org/media/stories/050414hisparth.html AND http://www.marrtc.org/media/stories/050414hisparth.html
Unseen Foe: Invisible disability can have distinct presence
In a world where disability is narrowly defined by observable physical incapacitation, those whose disability is less obvious - but often just as debilitating - may suffer lack of understanding. Disability comes in many shapes and forms, and the visible symptoms or lack thereof are not always indicator of how serious a person's suffering is. In fact, many arthritis-related and autoimmune conditions do not present with visible signs, but can be severe and damaging nonetheless. Is the lack of understanding taking an emotional toll on them? How should people with invisible disabilities deal with their condition? What programs are available to help them? For related story, go to: http://www.marrtc.org/media/stories/050406invisidisab.html
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