News from REMEDY

Physician and PhD candidate Marthe Gløersen is contributing with her doctorate to a breakthrough in the understanding of pain in hand osteoarthritis. Her research at Diakonhjemmet Hospital reveals new insights into the relationship between body mass index (BMI), pain sensitization, and hand osteoarthritis.

The European recommendations for primary care for hip and knee osteoarthritis have been updated, based on new research. It is important that people with osteoarthritis receive the right treatment to reduce pain and improve function.

In the ExeHeart study at Diakonhjemmet Hospital, researchers have revealed that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can provide significant benefits for patients with inflammatory joint disease.

A recent multicenter study , RehabNytte, sheds light on the crucial role the patient plays in the rehabilitation process. The study shows how patient involvement affects functional improvements and goal achievement in the first year after rehabilitation.

The Regional Research Network on Decentralized Clinical Studies (RECONNECT) is being established at Diakonhjemmet Hospital. The South-Eastern Regional Health Authority has allocated NOK 6 million to the network. It will help to improve the knowledge base and collaboration around clinical studies where patients do not need to come to the hospital to participate.

At the congress, Forum for Clinical Physiology, 11-12 January 2024, Kristine Røren Nordén received the award for best abstract on behalf of all the co-authors in one of the sub-studies in ExeHeart. – The study assessed the criterion validity and sensitivity to change of fitness calculators (eCRF) in patients with inflammatory joint disease, says Kristine. The group found that these calculators work well at the group level, but that they are not always as accurate at the individual level.

The hospital was granted four research applications and also responsibility for establishing a regional network for decentralized clinical studies.

The director of Diakonhjemmet Hospital has established a function as head of research for the hospital's overall research activities. Professor Espen A. Haavardsholm will be the hospital's head of research from the new year.

Lifestyle choices can play a critical role in the development of gout, an extremely painful disease that affects many people. This is revealed in the NOR-Gout study at Diakonhjemmet Hospital. The researchers have investigated the relationship between lifestyle factors and factors such as BMI and blood lipids in patients with gout.